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HISTORY 



OF 



CHESTERVILLE, 



MAINE. 



BY THE LATE OLIVER SEWALL, Esq. 



FAllMINGTON, Me. 

PUBLISHED BY J. S. SWIFT. 
1875. 







^ 



PREFACE. 



A FARMI^"GTON paper dated June 8, 1861, contains 
the following paragraph : — " In the death of Oliver 
Sewall, Esq., recorded in our last, the community 
meets with a twofold loss. Through a long life Mr. 
Sewall was an industrious, liberal, public spirited and 
exemplary citizen ; and, more than this, he was a sin- 
cere Christian, and while cheerful and active in all 
the social and political relations of life, he never for- 
got the higher interests and responsibilities associated 
with the life which is to come. The Congregational 
Church, of which he was a member, will miss his 
presence and his counsel. Mr. Sewall's observations 
and recollections embraced almost the whole period 
of the history of the settlement and progress of the 
region of territory embraced in our county, and he 
has left many valuable papers. A few years since he 
finished a detailed history of Chesterville, with a view 
to its publication. We feel that justice to the mem- 
ory of a departed friend like Mr. Sewall requires a 
more extended biographical sketch than we are now 
prepared to give, and which we shall embrace a fu- 
ture opportunity to present." 

The history referred to in the paragraph here quot- 
ed is the work now for the first time presented to 
the public. And it is an inval uable legacy which its 



4 History of Chesterville. — Preface. 

author with indeflitifrable and exhaustive research, pre- 
pared — not for anticipated pecnniarv remuneration — 
but for the gratification and instruction of succeedino^ 
generations, within the limits of the locations he lov- 
ed as the region of his birth, of his childhood's recollec- 
tions, and as the scene of the useful labors of a lotig 
life. The manuscript has been followed almost 6"x- 
actly. leaving the original work as an enduring mon- 
ument of the ability and taste of the author. The 
latest addition made by the author to the manuscript 
seems to have been made early in 1858; consequently 
the history lacks some eighteen vears of coming down 
to the date of publication. This fact imposes upon 
the publisher the necessity of preparins^ an appendix to 
follow Mr. Sewall's history, and fill up the interven- 
ing time, and illustrate the original by reference to 
changes which time and progress have wrought. 

Mr. Sewall kept a journal from his boyhood to 
within a few days of his death, in which he recorded 
the employments and observations of each day, and 
this, with the habit which the ]n-actice confirmed, en- 
abled him to make the early History of Chesterville 
remarkablv comyjlete. and it is hoped that the ap- 
])endix — the publication of which will follow as soon 
as practicable — will make the whole work a model 
town history. 

The plan proposed for the Appendix to the Histo- 
ry of Chesterville will make it somewhat more exten- 
sive than the original work. 

It is proposed, among other things, to give a few 
additional j)apers by Mr. Sewall ; somewhat extended 
biogra])eical sketches of the author of the original 
history, Kev. Jotham Sewall, Father Foster, and some 
others who have been prominent citizens; and the gen- 
ealogy, as far as it can be procured, of each family. 



History of Chesterville. — Preface. 5 

It is proposed likewise to give a brief description 
and sketch of the history of each farm — a feature nev- 
er before attempted in a town history. 

Among the subjects for distinct sections of the ap 
pendix for which more or k^ss preparation has been 
made, may be enumerated the following ; — Geology 
of Chesterville — Botany of Chesterville — Agriculture 
of Chesterville — ^lanufactures of Chesterville — The 
Future of Chesterville— Orcharding in Chesterville — 
Water Power of Chesterville — Scenery of Chester- 
ville, &c., &c. 

Publisher. 



INDEX. 

[The figures refer to the Seciions, not to Pages.] 

1 Introductory. 

2 Name. 

3 Description, — Boundaries, &c. 

4 Purchase — Boundaries of different purchases, Dates and Purchasers. 

5 Natural Curiosities — Granite Cliffs and Precipices. 

7 The Ridge. 

8 Streams. 

9 Ponds. 

10 Plains. 

11 Geological Conjecture — Supposed Ancient Lake. 

12 Early Settlers — Abraham Wyman. 

13 Dummer Sewall. 

14 Samuel Linscott. 

15 William Bradbury. 
IG John Mitchell. 

17 Jotham Sewall. 

18 John Bradbury. 

19 Abaham and Thomas Davenport. 

20 Joshua B. Lowell. 

21 Edward Locke. 

22 John Wheeler. 

23 Samuel Judkins. 

24 Daniel Wyman — A remarkable Hunter, — Successful Shot. 

25 Samuel Perry. 

26 Mr. Russell — Andrew Dunning. 

27 Jeremiah Bragdon. — A Phenomenon. 

28 Joseph and Moses French — Bear Story. 



History of Chesterville. — Contents. 7 

29 Jonathan Fellows— Moses Bacbekler— Phineas Bachelder— Jesse Soper. 

30 Samuel W. Eaton. 

31 Joseph Jones. 

32 Aaron"Fellows— Adventure on the Ridge Road. 

33 ;\Ioses Walton— Jacob Carr. 

34 Samuel French. 

35 John_,Bean — Corn-house Architecture. 

36 William Hathawa}'. 

37 John Wheeler, Jr. 

38 Clarke Whi ttier. 

39 Moses Whittier. 

40 Thomas Gordon, Senior. 

41 Phineas Whittier — Richard Maddocks. 

42 Thomas Williams, Sen. 

43 Newell Gordon. 

44 John Cakes. 

45 Memorable Accident. 

46 David Morrill. 

47 Town Meetings. 

48 Mills. 

49 Timber Lauds. 

50 Keith's Mills. 

51 E. Rennet's Auger Factory — Jos. Keith's Fulling and Carding Mill. 

52 Collins Lovejoy's Axe Factory. 

53 An Unfinished Sawmill. 

54 Change of Town Line. 

55 Mills at Farmington Falls. 
66 Wing's Mills. 

57 Accident to Eli L. Wing. 

58 Melancholy Death of Daniel Bachelder. 

59 Mill below Sand Pond. ^ 

60 Mills on McGurdy's Stream. 

61 Sawmill Above AVhittier's Pond. 

62 Starch Factory. 

63 Tanneries. 

64 Were's Tannery. 

65 First Meeting-House. 



History of Chesterville. — Contents. 

06 Removal of Meeting-House. 

67 Meeting-House at Chesterville Center. 

68 School Houses. 

69 School Districts. 

70 Villages— Center Mills. 

71 Other Villages. 

72 Roads. 

73 The Co-OS Road — Opened by Jacob Abbot, Esq. 

74 Bridges. 

75 Religious Societies. 

76 Physicians. 

77 Stores. 

78 Lawyer. 

79 Tobacconist. 

80 Blacksmiths. 

81 Carriages. 

82 Musical Instruments. 
33 Libraries. 

84 Representatives. 

85 Wild Animals — Bear Stories. 

86 Beaver Dams. 

87 Fish. 

88 Serpents — Power of Fascination — Remarkable Incidents. 

89 Temperance. 

90 Masts and Spars — Veteran Oxen. 

91 Destructive Wind. 

92 Avalanche. 

93 Town Officers. 



HISTORY OF C HESTERVILLE. 



BY THE LATE OLIVER SEWALL, ESQ. 



1. — Introductory. 

CHESTE[iviLLE\vas formerly a wilderness. Encroach- 
ments were made upon the primeval forest by a few 
individuals, who, with the intention of making perma- 
nent homes, began to make clearings and erect log 
cabins not far from 1780. At that time the territory 
afterwards constituting the town of Chesterville was a 
part of the " District of Maine," then a part of Massa- 
chusetts. Maine continued a "district" some forty years 
after the date referred to, when it was separated from 
the mother commonwealth and became a state. 

The territory of Chesterville was first included in 
Lincoln County Avhich at the time extended from the 
ocean, near the Kennebec l.iver, northerly to the Can- 
ada line. Out of this long county the County of Ken- 
nebec was formed, about the close of the eighteenth 
century. Still later, at different times, the counties of 
Somerset, Franklin. Sagadahock, and parts of some 
others have been chiefly taken from what was formerly 
the County of Lincoln. Chesterville is now one of the 
southerly towns in the County of Franklin, whose seat 



10 History (F Cmesthrville. 

of justice is in Farmington, the shiie town. Before 
the organization of Franklin County in 1 808 Chester- 
ville was in the County of Kennebec. 



-NAMi 



Several of the early settlers in the central part of 
the town were singers. They sometimes met in their 
camps to spend an evening in the practice of sacred 
music. On one of these occasions, (possibly when 
there were few if any families in the place,) they sung 
a tune named Chester, supposed to have been com- 
posed by Billings, and were much pleased w4th it. — 
After extolling the tune awhile their thoughts seemed 
to revert to their situation — only a few- — almost alone 
in the forest. Dummer Sewall proposed to call the 
new settlement Chester, a proposition "'vhich was 
agreed to without dispute. From that time to the in- 
corporation of the tow^n that section bore the name of 
Chester Pla:station, w'hile the southerly part of the 
town was called Wyman's Plantation, no doubt in 
honor of the first inhabitant, Abraham Wynian. When 
the settlers petitioned for incorporation as a towai one 
of their requests was that the new town should be 
named Chester; but as there was a, town of that name 
in Massachusetts the legislature added ville, and the 
new town came up Chesterville. 

3. — Description. 

Chesterville was originally '-State's Land," but 
unlike most other tosvns in the vicinity it was purchased 



History of Chester\ ille. 11 

in sections by different companies and individuals^ at 
various times. The town in length, from north to 
south is seven or eight miles, its width at the north 
end about six miles, and at the south end four or five 
miles, while it is scarcely three miles in width a little 
south of the middle. Chesterville is bounded on the 
south by Fayette, west by Jay, north-west by Wilton, 
north by Farmington, north-east by New Sharon, and 
east by Vienna. It has a water line dividing it in part 
from Farmington and Vienna and wholly from New 
Sharon, consisting of Wilson's Stream below the mouth 
of the Little Norridgewock; the Sandy River thence to 
the mouth of McGurdy's Stream; up that stream, 
through Whittier's Pond, some four miles or more, — 
about two hundred rods of Lane's Brook, a tributary 
of Parkers Pond, at its mouth and above, and through 
Parker's Pond thence to Fayette line. The best farm- 
ing land lies in the extremities of the town, much near 
the centre being bogs, swamps, plains, or ponds. 

4. — Purchases. 

"Chester P'irst Purchase," as it has been called, 
was conveyed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 
about 1790, to Dumraer Sewall, Esq., of Bath, and 
his associates, and contained 8000 acres or more. It 
was bounded easterly by a part of McGurdy's Stream 
and the northerly pond through which it runs to Sandy 
River, north by the south line of Farmington, to a cor- 
ner on the west side of Beaver-Dam Brook, near the 
present dwelling house of the late Josiah Norcross; 



12 History of CHESTfeRtiLLF^ 

west by a line thence to Locke's Pond, by that and 
Sand Pond to the south end of the latter, and] a line 
south 30 deg. east to a hemlock tree about thirty Jrods 
west of Little Norridgewock Stream, and south by a 
line north 65 deg. east, — including the water power at 
what is now Parks' or Central Mills, — to McGurdy's 
Stream It is said that Benjamin Whittier, Esq., then 
of Farmington, was one of the purchasers, and that on 
division he took his pnrt on the ^ eastern" side of the 
purchase. 

It is believed that the south part of the town was 
bought and lotted off with what is now Vienna, as far 
west as the Little Norridgewock Stream and Pond, to 
a point a little further north than Seth Norcross' dwell- 
ing house; as the bearings of the lines are very similar. 
North of this point it was bounded on the north-west 
by McGurdy's Brook, Pond and Stream. 

Another purchase containing about 1500 acres was 
made by Samuel Linscott. It included the land north- 
west of McGurdy's Stream to Chester First Purchase; 
and was bounded west by Little Norridgewock Stream, 
and south by a line run due west from the outlet of 
McGurdy's Pond to the Little Norridgewock. 

In the south-west cornet of the town is the pur- 
chase of Clifford & Judkins, extending about a mile 
north from the Fayette line, and from the Little 
Norridgewock Stream and Pond to the Jay line. 

Immediately north of this, and extending east to 
McGurdy's Brook, is a tract of 1000 acres which 
was granted to the town for public uses. The worth 



History of Chfstekvillf. 10 

of this tract was small, (as was fonud when sold,) 
for it contained a large portion of bog and pond. 

North of this lay the pnrchase of Pluraer & Eaton; 
but it extended east only to the Little Norridgewock 
Stream. This left some 100 acres between the grant 
to the town and Linscott's Purchase, extending east 
to McGurdy's Brook and Pond. This small tract was 
the last purchased from the State. It was made 
about 1820. 

Bean's Purchase lay in the north-west corner of the 
town as incorporated. It extended south of the south- 
west cove of Sand Pond some 180 rods, thence west 
to the Jay line. It was bounded east by Chester 
First Purchase to the north of Sand Pond. 

South of this pond, between the two coves which 
form its south end, and extending some 140 rods 
further south than Bean's Purchase, are two lots of 
about 130 acres each, one where Enoch Black now 
lives, bought by John Wheeler, senior, and the oth- 
er by his son, Edward T. Wheeler. 

The remainder, situated south and east of the three 
last mentioned tracts, bounded east by Chester First 
Purchase, and Linscott's, south by Palmer & Eaton's 
Purchase, and west by Jay line, containing about 
1500 acres, was bought by John and William Chany, 
about 1812. Except the small tract before mentioned 
this was the latest purchase from the State. 

Not many years after its incorporation the town 
was enlarged by the annexation of a few lots from 
Wilton, containing what is now J. W. Butterfield's 
farm and the land around it. 



1-i HisTOKY OF Chest Ell N ILL I" 



5. — Natural Curiosities. 



One of the natural curiosities of .Cliesterviile is 
found on the east side of Blabon, formerly called 
McGurdy's Hill, and partially connected with it, call- 
ed "Old Bluff." On the west side of the hill there 
is a ledge about 70 feet in higbt, a number of rods 
in length, and almost perpendicular. The south-east 
side, however,Tpossesses the most value and excites 
the highest interest. 'Here lie beautiful sheets of 
granite, of almost any desirable thickness, rising 
some 200 feet, rather steep, yet falling back some- 
thing like stairs, with occasionally a broad step of a 
wide sheet laying uncovered At the base the mass 
of stones, of almost every conceivable shape excepting 
round, indicates that by frost or some other power 
granite sheets have lost their place in this mountain 
ledge, and have been accumulating for ages ; having 
been broken by the fall or some convulsion into vari- 
ous shapes and sizes. Many pieces here bear a strik- 
ing resemblance to sheets far up the hillside. As they 
lay in place these sheets are generally thicker be- 
low than above. Years ago a stone, somewhat spher- 
ical, of some two tons weight, lay perched just above 
this ledge. In 1815 two men undermined one side 
and rolled it down stairs. It went down at a rate 
not slow, and as the men followed down its track, 
they saw where it leaped from one step to another, 
frequently breaking out fragments. They heard it 
too, away below them, jumping its way down to a 



History ov Chesterville. 15 

place of repose. Near the base they found a flat 
stone, some eight or ten inches in thickness, and in 
size about ten by fifteen feet, so nearly balanced on 
the points of three stones beneath, that half the weight 
of a man settled one end about six inches, and when 
the weight was removed, it resumed its former po- 
sition with a loud and singular noise, probably oc- 
casioned by the many cavities it partially covered. 

On another spur of the same hill, some half mile 
north of this, is situated a fine ledge of granite, from 
which many valuable stones are quarried.. It is called 
" Crow-eiFs Ledge." Still another, called " Lakin's 
Ledge," on the nortli-west front of the hill, affords 
many j^ood stones. Granite also crops out on other 
parts of the same hill. The part called "Old Bluff" 
is thought by some to exceed any other hill in town 
in altitude. 

Another natural feature of the town, somewhat re- 
markable, is called "The Bluff." It is situated some 
thirty or forty rods north-west of Sand Pond, and is a 
ledge of rock almost perpendicular, facing the pond, 
very nearly 100 feet high. At its base are rocks and 
stones of various shapes and sizes, in apparent con- 
fusion for several feet in front of the ledge. Above 
the land mounts still higher a few rods and then 
falls off to the north-west. The higher ]3art of the 
bluff is about thirty rods in length. Years ago, when 
pine timber was much more plenty than at present, 
there stood above and a little back of the "Jumping 
off Place," and leaning somewhat towards it, a pine 
tree, some two and a half feet in diameter, with a 



16 HlSTOKY OF CUESTERVII.LE, 

well proportioned body. It looked so inviting that 
some youngsters wishing to see a " pitch pole," cut 
it down. And down it Avent> as if hurried into the 
abyss below, almost top foremost. The top was not 
only broken off, but broken and split into pieces, — 
some of which were "almost as fine as ovenwood." 
Some forty feet of the but, however, stood the shock 
very well, but ended over and came to rest amo.ag 
the trees and rocks, with its top towards the stump.. 

7. — The Hidge. 

What is esteemed as at the head of nature's va- 
rious works in Chesterville is "The Ridge." It is 
what its name imports, a narrow ridge of land, to 
appearance composed of small stones, sand and grav- 
el, some four miles long. The sides are generally 
steep — sometimes double or wide, and varying from 
six or seven to seventy or eighty feet in hight. It 
commences about three-fourths of a mile south of the 
Centre Mills, and extends in a south-westerly direc- 
tion, somewhat crooked, and of unequal hight and 
width, some forty rods into Fayette. For the most 
of this distance it appears to divide the waters of the 
Little Norridgewock and McGurdy's Streams. A brook, 
however, running from the south-east, through Per- 
kins' Meadow in Fayette, comes to the Ilidge on the 
east, several rods north of its southern extremity, re- 
ceives a few tributaries from the north-east, and runs 
around the south end of the Kidge into Lane's Pond, 
near its outlet. This outlet is the main branch of 



History of Chesterville. 17 

the Little Norridgewock Stream, which passes through 
Norridgewock or Moose Horn Pond, receives the 
Bog Stream from the west, and a few smaller streams, 
and joins Wilson's Stream, (which is rapid,) some 
mile or more above its mouth, which is at Farming- 
ton Falls. Besides the last pond above mentioned, 
two others, Eound Pond and Sheldrake Pond, lie on 
the west side of the Ilidge, all very near it. It is 
generally thought that Sheldrake Pond leaks out — 
slowly no doubt— under the Ilidge in two places, 
into McGurdy's Pond on the east side, and some- 
what lower. The evidences of these outlets under 
the Ridge, are, first, two hollows or depressions in 
the Ridge near Sheldrake Pond; second, not far from 
the northerly of the two hollows, water appears to 
come up in a bog, almost on a level with McGur- 
dy's Pond, which is so warm that it never freezes ; 
thirdly, the writer saw, April 2o, 1829, east of the 
southern hollow, a strip of open water, clear from 
ice, extending quite across McGurdy's Pond, towards 
the outlet, and very straight, while the ice north and 
south of it remained undissolved. This is probably so 
every year, as others have frequently noticed such 
an appearance at that season of the year. It seems 
not only probable but almost certain that such a road 
through the ice was made by a current of warm 
water. The hollows in the ridge may owe their ori- 
gin to some other cause, or .they may have been the 
effect of a leak underneath. These leaks must be 
small or they would j^draw off Sheldrake Pond to a 
level with the other. The former, however, may be 



ly History of Chesterville. 

fed by springs sufficiently large to hold the balance. 
It would seem that these outlets descend very deep 
to send up warm water. Sheldrake Pond has no 
other outlet excepting over a bog towards the north- 
west, in time of freshet. At such times the water 
backs in from the Little Norridgewock, and only runs 
off as the flood subsides. 

8. — Streams. 

McGurdy's Stream rises on the east side of the 
Ridge, in Chesterville, not a great distance from the 
south line, and passes through McGurdy's and Whit- 
tier's Ponds, receiving several brooks on both sides? 
and loses itself in the Sandy lliver, about a mile 
below Farmington Falls. 

Wilson's Stream, a rapid stream, rising in No. -1, 
and Temple, and running through Wilton, runs only 
a mile or two on the boundary of Chesterville. 

Little Norridgewock and McGurdy's Streams have 
little descent and afford but few mill sites. They are 
fed, partially at least, by swamps. Their shores in 
many places are skirted with meadoAV lands, which 
afford a cheap coarse hay, of no inconsiderable ben- 
efit to the farmers. Some . of tliese were natural 
meadows. Tradition says that some men residing in 
Winthrop formerly cut and stacked hay near McGur- 
dy's Stream, ''drove up cattle to consume it in a shel- 
tered place in the woods near by, and then drove 
them home again. 

One small meadow on McGurdy's Stream is called 



History of Chesterville. 19 

"The Horse Meadow." In connection with this name, 
as the circumstance in which it originated, — the fol- 
lowing story is told. Mr. Linscott, the owner, had 
cut and stacked the hay as usual, one season. Late 
in the fall some one in Farmington lost a horse, and 
after a fruitless search, being unable to learn any- 
thing of its whereabouts, he concluded that it was 
hopelessly lost. Some time in the winter Mr. Lin- 
scott went after his stack of hay, when the mystery 
of the absence of the horse was solved. There was 
the horse but the hay was mostly gone. . To all ap- 
pearance the horse had been living on it thus far, 
and for drink he had kept a path to a spring not far 
off, and had contrived to keep it open. [We have 
a well authenticated record of an instance where a 
horse had been left to himself, that displayed the 
singular instinct of going frequently to its watering 
place in cold weather, and pawiilg open the ice.] 

9. — Ponds. 

North Pond is situated some short of two miles 
west of Parks' Mills, contains an area of more than 
100 acres, and sends its surplus Avaters into the Bog 
Stream. Chesterville contains several ponds not yet 
described. The largest of these, of some 80 acres 
surface, in the southeast part of the town, (a small 
portion of it being in Vienna,) is called Perry's Pond, 
and empties into McGurdy's Stream. Whortleberry 
Pond lies north of North Pond, into which it runs 
by a stream of the same name. Sugar Streaiji, of 
about the same magnitude as Whortleberry Stream, 



20 History of Chestervile. 

rises in Jay and joins Whortleberry Stream from the 
west. 

At the south-east border of the town is a large and 
beautiful sheet of water known as Parker's Pond.- — 
This pond contains several picturesque islands. In 
the southern part of the town there are several 
brooks and streams, whose waters find their way to 
the Androscoggin through Parker's and a chain of 
other ponds in Mount Vernon, Fayette, Wayne, and 
Leeds. 

10. — The Plains. 

Among the natural features of the town "The Plains" 
deserve notice. These are some two miles long and 
half a mile wide, and lie east and south-east of Parks' 
Mills. The tract is by no means level ; still there 
are patches that are nearly so. There were but few 
bushes or trees on The Plains when the settlement 
of the town was commenced, but there was quite a 
growth of blueberries, strawberries and grass. The 
tract had probably been frequently burned over by 
the Indians, which checked tlie growth of timber but 
promoted that of shrubs and grass. The pioneer set- 
tlers used The Plains as a common pasture for many 
years. 

11. — Geological Con.iecture, 

It is the opinion of some that almost the whole 
of Little Norridgewock and McGurdy's Streams, with 
a part of Wilson's Stream and Sandy River were once 



History of Chesterville. 21 

engulfed in a large pond or lake, the outlet of which 
was near what is now called Smith's Mills, in Fay- 
ette, into the Androscoggin, and that the Ridge was 
then formed by the current. If the hills showing 
themselves on each side of New Sharon Falls were 
at some past period joined in one so as to stop the 
Sandy River in that direction, this state of things 
did exist, and such a conjecture is well founded. — 
The appearance of the bed of the river at the Falls 
and below\ and the make of the intervales for quite 
a distance down river, ( first a mixture of loam and 
coarse gravel, a little farther down fine gravel, and 
farther yet, sand, coarse and then fine,) indicate that 
such a cutting through the hills and running away 
of a lake did once take place. This opinion is ren- 
dered more plausible when the steepness of the hills 
on each side of the Falls is taken into account. We 
rarely find such shaped hills where no current has 
operated, unless formed of ledge. The Falls once 
thus submerged, testimony of the existence of such a 
lake is found in a deposite apparently formerly the 
bottom of a lake, and now slightly in some instances 
covered with soil. 

Another fact corroborative of this belief is the ex- 
istence of narrow patches of intervale, one at and 
above the mills at the Falls, on the north side of 
the river, and another just below on the south side- 
This shows that a larger, wider channel than is need- 
ed for the ordinary flow of the river was made when 
the lake was drained, and as a matter of course hiis 
been partly filled up since. Nor is this a solitary 



22 History of Chf.stecvillti. 

instance. The pond, lulls, and stream near Wilton 
Upper Village, with the inttrvales at, below, and 
southwesterly, to the Androscoggin, form a case in 
point. At tlie south end of Wilson's Pond, near the 
road to Bartlett's Corner, tlie land is only about 
twenty feet higher than the surface of the pond at 
its usual higlit. The hills at the village are doubt- 
less somewhat higher, and if connected by an inter- 
vening ridge, would stop the stream and raise the 
pond, which, in such a case, would send its waters 
into the Androscoggin, not far above Jay Bridge. — 
The steep hills on the sides of the stream at the 
village, and the make of the bed of the stream and 
the land near it below, plainly show that the stream 
once cut its way through these hills. 

12. — Early Settlers. — Abraham Wyman. 

Abraham Wyman was the first white inhabitant of 
what is now Chesterville. He began on the farm 
which has for several years been owned and occu- 
pied by Setli Norcross — about the year 1782. His 
family was . the only one for about a year between 
Keadfield or Mount Vernon and the Sandy River. — 
They lived in a quite lonely condition, having few if 
any callers or visitors, until Mr. Sewall and Mr. Lin- 
scott moved in, about three miles north of them. Af- 
ter this, (as Mrs. Wyman stated in after years,) Mrs. 
Sewall and Mrs. Linscott being sisters, used frequently 
to walk down to visit her, barefoot! 

After a few years Mr. Wyman moved to Livermore. 
He did not reside there however many years, but re- 



History of Chesteiiville. 2'S 

turned and lived with his son Daniel. He died in 
180-2, his wife in l817. 

lo. DUMMEll SeWALL, 

On the 23d day of March, 1783, after a toilsome 
journey of six days, with ox teams from Bath, Dum- 
mer Sewall, son of Col. Uummer Sewall of Bath, — 
arrived with his family, and commenced a residence 
on the farm hitely occupied by his son, Otis C- 
Sewall. He had previously made a clearing and put 
up a camp, in which he and Mr. Linscott, witli 
their faraihes, took up their abode. Here they liv- 
ed together for some time, or till Mr. Linscott had 
prepared a rough dwelling. 

Some time in 1783 Mr. Sewall constructed a sleigh, 
the first made in the town, and probably the first in 
Franklin County. If now in existence it would be 
esteemed a great curiosity. The bottom was framed 
like others of that day, but with little if any iron 
work on it. The sides, forepart, and back of the 
top were of birch bark, doubled to make it more 
firm, and to show the same side of the bark outside 
and in. He and his wife and child rode in it to 
Bath, and returned again in it. Their visit ta Bath 
was about ten months after their location in their 
wilderness home. Mrs. Wheeler, who informed the 
writer of this incident, had tested the sleigh by rid- 
ing a short distance in it. 

Two years after this Mr. Sewall built a double 
sleigh, as perhaps we should esteem it. He owned 



24 History (;F Chesterville. 

no horse. Contemplating another journey with his 
family to Bath in this, he engaged one owned by Mr. 
Linscott, and to match it another belonging to Mr. 
Eaton of Sandy Ri-ser. A day or two before his 
journey he got them together and harnessed, all but 
the long bridles, Mr. Linscott helping and his wife, 
with their child Andrew, four years old, looking on. 
The horses were regarded as very steady and gentle. 
Mrs. Linscott, with some urging, got in with her 
child. Immediately on this the horses started, and 
were soon in a fast run, 'jp by Mr. Linscott's, he 
aad Mr. Sewall endeavoring in vain to overtake them. 
Mrs. Linscott did her best to keep her child and 
herself from being hurt, but she could not keep her 
seat, but was tossed about in all parts of the sleigh. 
The horses ran on some two and a half miles, when, 
some half way down the north side of Locke's Hill, 
the strap holding up the tongue gave way, and the 
tongue was driven into the snow and even into the 
ground, tipping the sleigh and stopping the team. 
The shock threw the riders several feet into the snow, 
but did not hurt them. Mrs. Linscott being thinly 
clad, was poorly prepared for such a ride, and on 
clambering into the road, found her feet so cold that 
she sat down, rubbing them in the snow. She had 
barely finished this when her husband came up, and 
soon after him Mr. Sewall, who had been delayed a 
little by looking for the child beside the road. They 
soon got the team in such order that the horses gave 
Mr. Linscott a slow ride home. 



HiSiOKY OF ClIKSTERVILLF. '26 

Mr. Sewall, with others, in ITS-t and 178"), bnilt 
the iirst saw and grist mill in the town, on Little 
iNorridgewock Stream, near the present site of Park's 
Mills, to which Stephen Titcomb of Sandy River, 
as traditi >a says, hauled the first log and helped 
saw it into boards. Mr. Sewall put up two or three 
otlier mills in later years, being a carpenter by tr:ide. 
He raised quite a family, the oldest of whom, Diim- 
mer, was the first wiiite child born in Chesterville. 
He was born Aug. '22. 178o. A lot of land near 
John Butterfield's was bestowed as a birthright, which 
was sold about the time he attained the' age of '21. 
Mr. Sewall made and repaired coopers ware soon 
after he became a resident in Chesterville. He lack- 
ed some of the tools necessary in this business. — • 
Needing a "'croze" he broke a piece from the point 
of a handsaw and made one. A piggin, a vessel 
with one stave extending higher than the others for 
a handle, would be a rare sight now; but the writer 
used to see them in liis boyhood. They ordinarily 
contained about six quarts and were mostly used in 
milking. A tv/o story house, raised Sept. 12, K8s, 
was built by Mr. Sewall, in which he lived many 
years. Mrs. Sewall once said, " It has stood sixty 
years and not a single death has occurred in it."' 
This house has since been taken down. Mr. Sewall 
was the first Postmaster and Justice of the Peace ^in 
the town, both of which ofifices he filled several years. 
He died hi February, 1846, at the age of So years. 
His wife died in May, 1852. [Mr. Sewall was con- 
spicuous for industry, and his long life was one of 
great usefulness.] 



26 History of Chestervillf. 

14. — Samuel Linscoit- 

Samuel Linscott moved iijto the place with Dum- 
mer Sewall. He began on the next lot north of Mr. 
Sewall's. He helped build and carry on the first 
mills in the place, and owned one half of a sawmill 
built some eighteen years later. He carried on fiirra- 
ing rather more extensively than his neighbors. He 
made one of the purchases of the to'vn, and served 
the town as treasurer for the first two years after 
its incorporation, and as constable and collector dur- 
ing three years. Capt. Wyman, his brother and Mr- 
Linscott, once went on snowshoes to Moose Hill 
hunting. They found three moose and each select- 
ing his object, fired. Two dropped dead, while one 
remained almost or entirely unhurt. Their dogs 
worried this one to madness when it rushed towards 
Mr. Linscott; Capt. Wyman in the mean time load- 
ing for another shot. Mr. L. dropped his gun and 
siezed his axe, waiting the assault. ' The moose 
came rushing towards him, and just as he was crouch- 
ing for his final spring, Mr. L. settled the axe into 
his head and thus killed him. 

One of the first years of his residence liere, Mr. 
Linscott needed potatoes to plant. Stephen Titcomb 
had some to spare. Mr. Linscott with his axe w^ent 
and labored for Mr. Titcomb two days for two bush- 
els of potatoes. At night of the second^day he 
shouldered his potatoes and started for home. The 
stream had risen a little where he had crossed on a 
tree, so that when he was fairly on it with his 
load he found that it was alloat. He lost his axe, 



History of Chesterville. 27 

and had to lay his bag of potatoes across the tree 
mostly in the water. Watching the most favorable 
opportunity, as well as he could judge in the dark- 
ness, he jumped for '• dear life" towards the shore, 
Ho then went honip. The' next morning, with some 
help, he recovered his axe and potatoes. But the 
potatoes yielded him but a light return for all his 
labor and risk, as few of them ever grew. 

Mr. Linscott's son Daniel, about eighteen years of 
age, was drowned in May, 1797. He was drowned 
just above the first sawmill, after it had been remov- 
ed up stream, and his was the first death by drown- 
ing among the settlers of the town. He was tending 
the, mill alone, and as is supposed^ went to haul up 
a log, and that in doing it he got into the millpond, 
perhaps by sliding down between two logs. A man 
coming down the stream to mill in a canoe, seeing 
a hat upon the water and the mill running, gave 
the alarm. The body was not found till the next 
day. Mr. Linscott's younger son, Joseph, died in 
August 1789, at the age of about 18 months. This 
was the first death of a white person within the 
town. Mr. Linscott died in Nov., 1816; his wife in 
July, 1843. In the same house a sister of Mrs. 
Linscott — widow Hannah Foster, — died in May 1846, 
at the age of 94. Hers was the death of the old- 
est person to be found on the town records in 1856. 

15. — William Bradbury. 

A few years after the settlements just recorded, 
William Bradbury began to clear the lot next north 



28 History of Chestervule. 

of Mr. Linscott's, the farm on whicli his son Wil- 
liam O. Bradbury. Esq. afterwards Ywod and died. 
He was a carpenter by trade, and he superintended 
the framimg of many buildings in the vicinity. Soon 
after he made a beginning on his lot, — possibly be- 
fore he had a family, — he went to Winthrop to mill, 
with a hand sled. He helped build and occupy one 
sawmill, owning one eighth |)art. This was the mill 
of which Mr. Linscott owned half Mr. Bradbury 
worked on the first sawmill erected in Chesterville 
for others, but owned no part of it. He was one of 
the first board of Selectmen and Assessors of the 
town, and served in that capacity at different times 
seven years; as Clerk, fourteen years; and as Treas- 
urer, twenty-six years. Out of the fifty-four years of 
the town's corporate existence up to April, 856, he 
and his son, Wm. O. Bradbury, have had care of 
the town's treasury, in the same house, forty-one 
years. In later years he was deacon of the Baptist 
church in the town. Before and after this he fre- 
quently conducted religious meetings on the vSabbath, 
reading printed sermons when no minister was pres- 
ent. He commenced this practice soon after Rev. 
Jotham Sewall commenced preaching, — he having 
conducted such meetings .previous to that time. — 
These meetings were called " Society Meetings," in 
former days. They originated August 27, 1786, in 
Thomas Davenport's camp. The Wednesday evening 
prayer meetings, which were kept up with very few 
interruptions some forty-five or fifty years, originated 
in the same camp. May 21, 1788. Mr. Bradbury 



History of Chestervii.le. 29 

conducted these many years, as well as the siug-iir^ 
in a'l such meetinp;s in the Plantation some twelve 
or fourteen years prior to \>W. He died in Nov., 
1846. at the ao-e of upwards of 80. His wife died 
in Nov., 1821, at the age of 67. 

16. — John Mhchef-l. 

About the date of Mr. Bradbury's commencement 
of improvements on his lot, John Mitchell began to 
clear the lot now, [i856] owned in part by David 
M. Hamilton, it being the second lot north of Mr. 
Bradbury's. He cleared some land and put up build- 
ings a few years before he married and moved into 
his house. He had an interest in one sawmill at 
least, and did something at lumbering for a number 
of years, besides carrying on his farm. In the ear- 
lier days of the culture of the soil of this region, 
rultivators were unknown. Corn and potatoes were 
managed wholly by the hoe. No plow was introduc- 
ed for several years. The first that the writer re- 
members of any operation of the kind was started by 
Mr. Mitchell. He prepered a yoke so that the oxen 
could walk with one row between them, — the ring 
and staple being placed close to the near ox. In 
this way. by shearing the plow a trifle, it could fol- 
low the near ox and do the work. Many pieces of 
corn and potatoes were cultivated in this way. After 
a few years, however, this mode was superseded by 
the horse and a light plow. Mr. Mitchell was chosen 
ensign in 1804, when the militia was first organized 
in town. He was promoted to the lieutenancy^ 



:]() lIi>TOKV OF Ci.ii:sti:rvili.e< 

and not long after, in 1810, resij^ned. He died af 
his soil's in Hloomfield in January, looO, at the age 
of ^8 years, and was brought to Chesterville for in- 
terment. His wife died in Feb. 1839. at tbe age 
of 7i years. 

17, JOTHAM SeWALL. 

Jotham Sewall established his home on the lot 
north of Mr. Mitchell's — the farm where he lived 
and died, —in March, 178S. Like others of the 
pioneers he began to do soTnething on his land 
about five years earlier. He planted a nursery of 
appletrees, — probably the first in what is now Frank- 
lin County, — ^^in Sept, 1783. Some ten years after 
this he set out the first orchard. He once carried a 
grist to mill at Winthrop, on a handsled. He car- 
ried on his farm, working occasionally at his trade — 
that of a mason, — until about 1798, when he engag- 
ed in preaching the gospel. Much of his time after 
this, when health permitted, was spent in missionary 
labor, mostly in this state, though sometimes extend- 
ed to other states. When he first raised apples to 
spare they could be exchanged, bushel for bushel, for 
corn. He died Oct. 3, 18o0, at the age of 90 years. 
[See Appendix to this history for the most complete 
biographical sketch of Kev. Jotham Sewall now in 
existence.] 

18. — John Bradbury. 

Jolin Bradbury began on the lot next north of 
Mr. Sewall's, soon after him. He was a joiner and 



History of Chesteumi.m:. 3^ 

o-lazier bv trade, and for maDV years made most of 
rh€ window sashes used in the vicinity. He also, 
in addition to his farm work, finished off many rooms- 
He always appealed to entertain a dread of poverty. 
Before he was married he was sleeping one night 
in bis camp, on a bench, or rough temporary bed, 
whtn he dreamed he saw ])overty, in the form of a 
large two story house, movnig slowly in various di- 
rections. In iiis dream he had fears lest it should 
run over lum and he watched its motions with intense 
interest. Soon it seemed to be moving towards him, 
and runnhig in a direct line, was now about to run 
over and crush him sure enough. He put forth his 
utmost strength, and made a desperate leap and found 
himself awake several feet from his bunk. Striking 
the floor no doubt awoke him. Whether the dread 
above mentioned was hereditary or premonitory, or 
came over him in accordance with his natural tem- 
perament, it is not easy to decide. He became poor, 
however, before his death, which occurred in July, 
1851. His first wife died in April, 1831. 

i9. — Abraham ajs^d Thomas Davenport. 
Near the same time, Abraham and Thomas Daven- 
port began respectively on the two lots next north. 
The wife of Abraham Davenport was sister to the 
wife of Rev. Jotham Sewall. Thomas Davenport 
married a sister of John and William Bradbury, and 
his first child, Nathaniel, was born Feb. 29, 1792. 
It was said of him that his birthday came only once 
in four years. It was an occurrence very rare for 
a birth to take place on that day. 



'32 History < r Chlsthrville. 

Not many )ears elapsed befoio they returned to 
Hallowell where they had formerly resided. The 
former left about two years before the latter, Avho 
left in April, 1799. The former carried on the tal- 
low chandler's business in Hallowell a number of 
years, but died at liis son's ni Mobile, Alabama, about 
\^o\. His wife died in Hallowell. Thomas is sup- 
posed to have resided in Hallowell the remainder of 
his life. 

20. — Joshua B. Lowell. 

The next lot north was taken up by Joshua B. 
Lowell, son of Reuben Lowell, one of the early set- 
tlers in Farmington. He opened the iirst house for 
the entertainment of travelers, within the limits of 
the present town, while it was yet a plantation. He 
was chosen the tirst Clerk, and served the town in 
that office nine consecutive years. He served also 
i\s Selectman and Assessor six years, and was the 
second Postmaster in the town. A paralytic shock 
rendered him helpless some four years before his 
death, which took place in March, 182 L His age 
was 55 years. His wife died in November, lb'2'2. 

21. — EnwAiiD LocKE. 

Pretty early among the settlers last described, Ed- 
ward Locke arrived from New Hampshire. His fam- 
ily lived a short time in John Mitchell s house, while 
he was making a beginning on the lot next north of 
Mr. Lowell's, and juitting up a lug house. His lot 



History of Chesterville. 33 

was considerably larger than others south of it. He 
preached occasionally, mostly in places adjacent. It 
was not, hov/ever, many years before he leii: the place. 
Some of his sons occupied the farm, and he, occa- 
sionally, with several changes, and a few intc^rrup- 
tions. until about 18'-2S, when it was divided and 
passed into other hands. On this large lot there are 
now four residences, and about ten others own parts 
of it. Mr. Locke was supposed to own more prop- 
erty than any other man in the place; for he had 
feveral pieces of real estate in other towns. At the 
time of his decease he owned a house and lot in 
Awgusta. He died in March, 1824. His son Ward, 
a preacher of the Freewill Baptist denomination, oc- 
cupied the farm some ten years, the closing part of 
his life. He died in November, 1828. 

22. — John Wheeler. 

John Wheeler, senior, moved into the place from 
York in 17^)3. He had several children, lived a year 
or two in a log house then recently vacated by the 
removal of Joth^m Sewall into the framed house he 
had built, and then moved to the place he afterwards 
bought of the slate, where Enoch Black now [1856] 
resides, south of Sand Pond. Mr. AV heeler was a 
tailor by trade, the iirst in the town — at which trade 
he worked a part of the time. He was born in May, 
1750, as appears by the town record. His wife died 
of t}phus fever in March, 181-1, and his daughter 
Sally, about two months after. His son's wife, liv- 
ing near, died May 8, and Mrs. Chandler, a married 



si History of Chesterville. 

daughter, May 15, of the some year. A few }ears 
after these afflictive events he sold and went to Wil- 
ton, living in the family of Mr. Hiscock, who married 
his youngest daughter, where it is understood he died 
some years ago, at the age of about yO. It was gene- 
rally believed that he was born in Enghmd. Mrs. 
Wheeler, when probably about lifty years old, more 
than once went to her son John's, fully three miles, 
over bad roads, carrying her flax, and spun two double 
skeins of linen, und returned home at night, traveling 
both ways on foot. 

23. — Samuel Judkins. 

Samuel Judkins, st-nior, was the second^ settler 
in the south part of the town, then called Wyman's 
Plantation. He first lived near a large spring south 
of the d^velling house of Moses French. This was 
probably about 1786 or 7. Not long after he took 
up a lot west of the Kidge, where Burnham Morrill 
now lives, and where Mr. Judkins put up buildings 
and resided the remainder of his life. He died in 
July, 1803. His body was carried about two and a 
half miles to be buried. For this purpose a long 
bier was prepared. The poles were placed a suffi- 
cient distance asunder to admit a horse between them. 
When ready, with the coffin upon it, — a saddled 
horse at each end of the bier, between the poles, — 
the bier was raised, and each end of a pole placed 
in a stirrup of the saddle, and thus conveyed to the 
place of interment by two horses. Mr. Judkins had 
several sons. Samuel, jr., was remarkable for the 



History of CuEbTERviLLK. 35 

ability to turn one heel forward, standing with his 
feet parallel, — toe to heel, — beside each other. He 
lived n few years near where his father began, but 
subsequently resided in different places. Joseph and 
Benjamin were tifer and drummer to the militia 
company when first organized. Of the latter Rev. 
Jotham Sewall in his Journal of May 10, 1800, 
says, " With S. W. Eaton visited Benj. Judkins, Avho 
was very low. He had been struck in the ham by a 
porcupine's tail, and some of the quills had worked 
through his leg." 

24. — Daniel Wyman. 

While Mr. Judkins lived near the large spring, 
Daniel Wyman, son of Abraham Wyman, came from 
Readfield, built a house and resided a little north 
of him. He lived here till about two years after he 
was chosen Captain, (as elsewhere stated,) when he 
removed to Livermore. A year or two after, how- 
ever, found him returned, with his father and moth- 
er. Not far from this date he built a house and be- 
gan to reside where Franklin Currier now lives, which 
is on the same lot where he first built. He lived 
here quite a number of years. He was somewhat 
noted as a hunter, and in the latter years of his life 
he was heard to say tliat he had shot one moose at 
least on every square mile for several miles around 
A few years after 1820 he sold his farm and moved 
to Kingfield, living with one of his sons. When 
almost 70 years old he visited another son residing 
near the Dead River. Here he was on the day that 



36 History of Chesterville. 

completed his " three score and ten." That day, with 
his favorite, the gun, well loaded, he made a hunt- 
ing excursion. Avith one attendant. As they were in 
a canoe on the Dead River, they espied two moose 
swim.ming across. He was told to fire. '• Not yet," 
said he. The moose were soon climbiiio^ the river 
bank near each other. Then he fired. On examin- 
ation it was found that the ball had passed through 
the vitals of one, killing it outright, and then broke 
a leg of the other, so that he was soon dispatched. 
Thus he killed two moose at one shot the day he 
v.^as seventy years old. Two credible persons inform- 
ed the writer that they had seen the ball that exe- 
cuted this feat. In the days so far back towards 
our Revolutionary struggle, as were those that dawn- 
ed upon the early settlement of this region, the mil- 
itary spirit prevailed. Wyman's Plantation, with a 
part or all of the present town of Vienna, ( then 
called Goshen.) united in forming a company of mi- 
litia, some years before either town was incorporated. 
At the organization of this company Daniel Wyman 
was chosen and commissioned Captain, and he con- 
tinued in office about two years. He found the cost 
of uniforming and equipping himself, and the "treat- 
ing" then customary, bore too heavily upon his purse. 
He served in the Revolutionary War and has been 
known to say that he had taken as good aim at a 
man as he ever had at a moose. He rendered much 
assistance in 1804 and 1805 to the officers of the 
company in Chesterville. then recently organized. 



History of Ciiesterville. 37 

2). — Samuel Perry. 
Samuel Perry settled on the present Elislia Perry 
farm about the date of the settlement of Daniel AVy- 
man. fie had been a Revolutionary soldier, and his 
wife, who outlived him more than thirty-four years, 
drew a pension on account of his services. He built 
a house of hewn timber, put up something like a 
log house, where he lived many years. This house 
was taken down severa.1 years ago. He died in 1821, 
at the age >f 8f). His wife died in 1855, at the 
age of more than ninety, 

26.— Mr. Russell — Andrew Dunning. 

Tn the south-west part of the town, where David 
Gordon now lives, a Mr. Russell, father of Dr. L. 
W. Russell, settled at an early day. Being one of 
the first settlers west of the Ridge, that neighbor- 
hood took its name, — Russellborough, — from him. 
He left the town not many years after. Near the 
same timxe Andrew Dunning settled not far from 
Isaac Eaton's present location but continued there 
only a year or two. 

27. — Jeremiah Bragdon. 

Not much, if any, after the preceding, Jeremiah 
Bragdon settled where Moses French now lives. Be- 
ing a blacksmith he carried on biacksmithing as well 
as farming. He was the first blacksmith in town. 
Pie joined the Congregational church in IT 9 7, and 
being a good reader he frequently read sermons and 



38 History of Chestervilli'. 

conducted reliijrions meetings in Wyman's Plantation, 
on the Sabbath, when no minister was in attendance. 
He ]:>robably had improved better advantages of ed- 
ucation th:-:n most of those around him. About the 
commencement of the present century he became in- 
sane. He was an athletic man, and three of his 
neighbors had then' hands full to confine him when 
first taken. He would contrive to do some mischief 
even when bound with a little slack chain. If near 
enough, he would get his head into the fire, unless 
closely watched. He was taken care of at different 
places, but mostly at home, by those living in the 
vicinity, for a year or two, at least. His insanity 
afterwards measurably left him. In after years he 
seemed to think that he must sound every letter in 
all his words when talking. It was amusing to hear 
him do this in such words as, though, bought, slaugh- 
ter, could, would, &c. He would not only give a 
quick sound to gh, and 1, in these and like words, 
but to u the full sound, as of w in cow, and the w 
a like sound, or speak the letter in ail words where 
it is silent. He died in Nov., 181 i ; his wife in 
Nov., 1806. 

28. — Joseph and Moses French. 

The closing ten years of the last century brought a 
number of inhabitants into Wyman's Plantation. Jo- 
seph French, a native of New Hampshire, lived and 
died where Isaac French now resides. In April, 
1791, he came by a spotted line for three miles, by 
way of Starling, now Fayette, to begin on his lot. 
He and his brother Moses built and lived in a camp 



History of Chesterv[i.lk. o9 

near the south line of the town, while they were 
making a beginning in clearing their land. They 
eame on foot from South Hampton, N. H., with packs 
on their backs and six day's provisions. Joseph 
French was then nearly twenty-one, and had not pre- 
viousl} been thirty miles from home. The spotted 
line above mentioned was south of the late Daniel 
Jiachelder's, now in Fayette, who had settled on the 
place where he lived many years, a short time before. 
Here Mr. French and his brother made a short 
stay, until they put up a camp. He labored on his 
lot in summers, and went back to New Hampshire 
to spend die winters, for three years. He and his 
brother camped together a part of the time, and husk- 
ed their corn in the camp by firelight or moonlight, 
in the evenings of Autumn. One evening, while thus 
employed, a bear came snuffing around, looked in, 
and snapped his teeth, but dared not venture in, for 
fear of the fire. The next morning Mr. Judkins 
eame along with his dog where they were gathering 
corn. The dog scented the bear and found him in 
the edge of the woods asleep, but they did not cap- 
ture him. Mr. French took many a load of corn to 
Hallowell with his oxen, and sold it for two shillings 
a bushel. On returning he not unfrequently moved 
up families who were emigrating to the forest fron- 
ter. In one instance he was obliged to tie a wo- 
man and child on the top of a load, to keep them 
from falling off. Occasionally he would drive all 
night. He served the town as Selectman and Asses- 
sor seventeen years, and was a Justice of the Peace 
one or more terms. He served the Congregational 



40 History of Chesterville. 

Church as Deacon, thirty-two of the last years of his 
life. He was a joiner by trade, and worked at his 
trade in connection with his farming operations. — 
He was a successful farmer and an industrious citi- 
ze.Q. He died in Inov., 1841 ; his wife in Nov., 1855. 

*29. — JoNA. Fellows, Moses Bachelder, PF^^"EAS 
Bachelder, Jesse Sopeil 

Jonathan Fellows, senior, lived near the present 
residence of Henry Whitney. He served the town 
as Selectman two years. He died in April, 1854 ; 
his wife in July, 1821. Moses Bachelder on the 
south, alid Phineas Bachelder on the north of ]Mr 
Fellows, and Asa Sopcr, near where Jesse Soper 
now lives, all began settlements in this period. Mr. 
Soper died in 1842, at the age of 16 ; his wife in 
1844- at the age of 10. Moses Bachelder died in 1844^ 
Phineas Bachelder died in 1856; his wife several 
years before. 

80. — Samuel W. Eaton. 

In 1794, Samuel W. Eaton settled where his son, 
John Eaton, now resides. He occupied the farm for 
the remainder of his life as his home, though he 
spent most of his time, for fifteen years or more, 
prior to 1827, at sea. He made no foreign voyages, 
except one to the West Indies, but was engaged 
mostly in coasting and fishing. Though he never 
studied navigation, he was so well acquainted with 
the rivers and harbors on our sea coast that he was 
esteemed a good pilot. He died in 1831 ; his wife 
in 1842. 



HisTOKY OF Chestervii.le, 41 

31. — Joseph Jokes. 
Joseph Jones, the second bhicksmith in town, a 
trade at which he worked a part of his time, settled 
w^here Giistavus Clarke now lives. He was the first 
lieutenant in the militia of the town and was pro- 
moted to the rank of captain. While he was an of- 
ficer, or soon after, he sold his farm and bought 
where William Hathaway began ; but he lived there 
but a few years, when he exchanged farms with 
Phiueas Whitney, and removed to Cumberland County- 
He is supposed to be yet [1356] living in, Aroostook 
County. 

3*2. — Aaron Fellows 

Aaron Fellows, sen., settled where his son Aaron 
now lives. He was one of the Selectmen during the 
first two years of the town's corporate existence. — 
He worked at shoemaking as well as farming. He 
attended the annual town meeting, March 7, 1853, 
then near eighty years of age. He died a little 
more than a year after. Mrs. Fellows died in 1849. 
About the year 1797, Mr. Fellows was hauling a 
load of boards from the Center Mills, with four ox- 
en and a pair of wheels. When he got on the 
Ridge, nearly opposite the bog north of McGurdy's 
Pond he missed something which he had supposed 
to be on his load. Leaving his team he went back, 
expecting every moment to find the missing article 
He reached the mill, however, before he found it ; 
and returning as expeditiously as he could, he found 
his load, wheels and oxen, tumbled down the east 



42 History of Chkstekville. 

side of the Ridgo; which there is rather steep. — 
The load was lodged against a hunch of hirch hush- 
es near the foot of the Ridge, the hind oxen in 
quite an uncomfortahle position — one on the other, 
the other still fast to the cart. His first movement 
Avas to cut oflf the how and liberate the up[)er ox; 
but findinir this difficult and riskv, he cut off the 
tongue of the cart. He then drove the oxen up the 
side of the Ridge as fast as he could antl went 
home with them. The next day, with some help, 
he got up the cart and boards. 

33. — Mos£s Walton, — Jacob Carr. 

Moses Walton, sen., moved from Salisbury, Mass., 
to Sterling, now Fayette, about 1790. Six years 
later he settled in Wyman's Plantation, where Charles 
Walton, his grandson, now resides. About the same 
time, or a little earlier, Jacob Carr settled near Mr. 
Walton's. Mr. Carr was Constable and Collector 
three years from 1813. Not long after this he sold 
his farm and left the town. 

34. — Samuel French. 

Early in the present century Samuel French, sen., 
settled where Benj. S. French now resides. He died 
in 1831. Near the same time Dearborn French be- 
gan to clear the farm where he now resides. 

So. — John Bean. 

Early in the closing decade of the last century 
John Bean, son of Joshua Bean of Readfield, built 



History of C'hestervili/.:. ^-^ 

a house and settled on the farm where he lived and 
died, near the west line of the town. He was an 
enterprising farmer. His improved land was much 
of it in Jav. John Locke, son of Edward Locke, 
beo-an in Jay on the lot next north of Mr. Bean's, 
at "the same time. The first trees they cut lay side 
by side. They labored much together. When chop- 
ping down their first trees they planned for their 
corn-cribs. They selected four trees, about twenty- 
five feet apart, nearly in a square; these they cut 
some six feet from the ground, as squarely as they 
could, on the tops. Before the next corn harvest 
they placed two sizeable spruce logs on these stumps, 
as distant from each other, and as nearly parallel to 
each other as they could. Across these they placed 
several others, spotted so as to lay steadily. On the 
last sleepers they built their com cribs, of poles, 
covered with spruce bark or corn stalks, to shed off 
the rain. Here the corn was well preserved, and 
was so high that the b-ars could not get to it. It 
was threshed and marketed the following winter.— 
Mr Bean served the town as Moderator at thirteen 
annual meetings, as Selectman one year, and as Con- 
stable and Collector four years. He died in 1854, 
at the age of 84. His wife died in 1850, aged 76. 

36. — William Hathaway. 

About the time of the settlement of Mr. Bean, 
William Hathaway began on a lot near where Ja- 
cob W. Butterfield now resides, and where Zebulon 
Taylor recently resided. After a few years he sold 



44 History of Chestervili.e. 

to Capt Jones, and left the town When Mr. H. 
began to clear his lot it was in Tyngtown, now Wil- 
ton, and the lot was one of the northerly ones, af- 
terwards set off from Wilton to Chesterville. 

37. — John Wheeler, Jr. 

Having previonsly cleared some land and built a 
house, John Wheeler jr., who had married Mr. 
Linscott's eldest daughter, rook up his residence on 
a lot on Linscott's Purchase, about a mile easterly 
from the Center Mills, in the year 1800. He con- 
tinued to reside there about twenty-three years, when 
he bought a farm not far from the Mills, and remov- 
ed there. A few years after he took down the 
buildings on his back lot, but still continued to own 
and improve it. He was a very industrious man. 
He died in 1S55. Mrs. Wheeler, his widow, is the 
only known survivor of the first settlers in Chester 
Plantation. She was about six years old when her 
father moved iato the place, which was in March. 
1783, and an event she very well remembers. Not 
ffxr from 1840 she became blind. At first she could 
distinguish day from night, but latterly it is all one 
continued night to her bodilv eves. She distinoruish- 
es her acquaintances by the tones of their voices, 
and seems very intelligent and of good memory. — 
The writer is indebted to her for many incidents he 
has recorded. 

38. — Clarke Whittier, 

Is said to have been the earliest settler in the 
north-east part of the town. He began on the farm 



History of Chesterville, 45 

now occupied by Mr. Dike ; sold to Thomas Wil- 
liams, sen., and not long after left the town. 

39 — Moses WHrrriER 
Commenced not f\u- from the present residence of 
John W. Sanborn, about the same time, which was 
not far from 178S. 

40 — Thomas Gordon, Sen., 
• Settled on the farm where Benning Glines now 
lives, in 17i or 1*91. He resided on the place a 
number of years. He died in 1825 at the age of 
more than 80 years. 

41. — Phineas Whittier, — Richard Maddocks. 

Other settlers in that vicinity followed within the 
next four or five years. Phineas Whittier settled 
where Peter Whittier now lives , and Richard Mad- 
docks, sen , where his son Richard resides. John 
Butterfield, sen., settled where his son John resides. 

42, — Thomas Williams, Sen., 

About this period, bought of Clarke Whittier. Mr. 
Williams was a joiner by trade. He was Selectman 
for the first three years of the town's corporate ac- 
tion, and the first Captain of the militia company in 
the town, to which office he was elected in 1804. — 
He died in 1810, Phineas Whittier in 1828, Mr. 
Maddocks in 1839, and Mr. Butterfield in 1818. 

43. — Newell Gordon. 
A little later than the date of the last stated set- 
tlements, Newell Gordon besan to clear the farm 



46 History of Uhesteuville. 

now occupied by Mr. Lufkin. He served the town 
two years as Selectman, and as Constable and Col 
lector two years. He died in K^48. 

44 John Oakes. 

Where David Oakes now resides John Oakes his 
father commenced living in 180S. The two lots 
owned and occupied by him had been partially 
cleared by his brother, Eben Oakes, who is said to 
be still living in Madrid. Otis Corbet, afterwards of 
Farmington, had also made a beginning. Mr Oakes 
died in 1839. In this part of the town, David Wil- 
liams, John Allen, Daniel Streeter, and perhaps oth- 
ers, were among the early inhabitants, but the writ- 
er is not acquainted with their history. 

45, — Memorable Accident. 

An accident of a serious character took place in 
this part of the town not far from 1809. Some half 
a mile easterly from John Butterfields, Horatis 
G. Quincy was engaged in felling trees. A tree he 
had cut lodged on another, and he stepped forward 
and cut upon the tree that held the other up. It 
soon gave way, split up, broke, and slid back, the 
sharp end catching one of his legs at the ancle, and 
drove it into the ground. When the tree fell it 
threw out his foot, but it was almost severed from 
the leg,— only the strong cords at the heel holding 
it. After some delay, physicians being called in who 
dared not amputate, — Dr. Mann of Hallowell, 
arrived. He did not arrive, however, till some twen- 



HlSl'OKV OF CllKSlERVILLE. 4 7 

ty-five or thirty hours after the occurrcn''-o. He am- 
putated tlic leg ; jNIr. Quiucy recovered, and after- 
wards became a healthy and robust man. 

46. — I)a\ id ]\loi?Hii,i.. 

The ])ior)eer of the village at Farmington Falls, 
on the ( 'hesterville i^itle of the river, was David 
Morrill. He was a native of New Hampshire, and 
removed with his father's family to Keadfield when 
he was about fourteen years old. He served an ap- 
prenticeship with Thomas Williams, seii., and was 
married to a daughter of Deacon J. F. Woods in 
1^01. He built a house a little north-easterly of 
Deacon Woods', where he lived a few years. He 
then built the house which is the present residence 
of T. Croswell, Esq., and removed his family into it. 
He next built a house on the Chesterville side of 
the Sandy River, into which he removed his family 
in 1810. A short time before this there was little, 
if any, cleared land near the river at this place. — 
Mr. Morrill was Justice of the Peace, and one au- 
thorized to qualify civil officers, for several years. 
He served the town as Selectman four years, and as 
representative two years. He was a carpenter, join- 
er, and brick mason, and worked occasionally at all 
these , trades as well as farming. He was killed by 
a fall in his barn, which produced death almost in- 
stantly. His death occurred in December, 184"3, at 
the age of 63. Mrs. Morrill died of paralysis, in 
Oct., lyol, at the age of 77. 



48 History of Chl:ste[iville. 

47. — Town Meetings. 

According to a journal kept by Rev. Jotham Sewall 
the question of the separation of Maine from Massa- 
chusetts was agitated in i~i92. Monday the 7th day 
of Mav of that year was aj)pointed for the people 
of Maine to meet and vote on the question. He 
writes; '-Met in the afternoon at Uumnier Sewall's.. 
Nine votes for, and two against separation." 

The inhabitants of Chester Plantation, (see record 
made by Dumnier Sewall,) applied to Stephen Tit- 
comb, Esq., to cidl the first Plantation Meeting of 
which the writer has been able to find any record. 
Pursuant to his warrant the meeting was held at 
Joshua B. Lowell's, Innholder, the 3rd Monday in 
March, 1799. Dummer Sewall was chosen Clerk, 
Thomas Williams, Willliam Bradbury, and Joshua 
B. Lowell, Assessors ; and Samuel Linscott, Thomas 
Gordon, and John Butterfield, Surveyors. The 1st 
Monday in April of the same year another meeting 
was held at Thomas Williams' where it was voted 
to raise $200 to repair highways, fixing the price of 
labor on the highways at one dollar a day in June 
and July, eighty cents in August and September, 
and sixty-six cents in October and November. An- 
other meeting was convened at Joshua B. Lowell's, 
March 10, 1800, at which the Clerk and Assessors 
were reelected, and more surveyors chosen. The 
price of labor on the highways was fixed at the 
same rates as the year before, with the exception of 
a change to fifty cents for October and November, 
The rates of ox labor were the same as those for 



History of Chesterville. 49 

men. April 6, 1801, a majority of the Plantation 
agreed to repair or rebuild the bridge at Sewall's 
Mills, and subscribed forty-five dollars for the pur- 
pose, --if the rest would help ;" the amount to be 
paid in work at a dollar a day. The act incorpo- 
rating the town bears date Feb. 20, 1802, and au- 
thorized Stephen Titcomb, Esq., to call the first 
meeting. His warrant for the purpose, directed to 
Duramer Sewall, one of the inhabitants, was dated 
■March 10, 1802. Pursuant to this the first meeting 
was held on the first Monday in April following the 
5th day, at which time they not only organized, but 
voted for State and County officers. Jotham Sewall 
was the fii^t Moderator. The meetings of the town, 
for the first few years, were held at Joshua B. Low- 
ell's. Afterwards for several years in the Schoolhouse 
in School District No. I. Once each, at least, they 
met in the Schoolhouses of Nos. 2, 4, and 7, in later 
years. After this the gallery of the old Meeting- 
house was used for this purpose a number of years. 
Since 1851 the town has met, mostly, in Robinson's 
or Whittier s Hall, near the Center Mills. 

48. — Mills. 

The first Sawmill in Chesterville was erected by 
Dummer Sewall and a few others, in April, 1784, 
and was put in operation the following year. In 
1785, too, the first Gristmill was put in motion, 
either under the Sawmill roof, or in a small addition 
attached. It had one run of stones. This mill stood 
near the present site of Park's Mill. The dam be- 



50 History of CiiEsrEuviLLE, 

ing rather low, so that the head was small, and the 
backwater retarding the motion of the wheels con- 
siderably, the mill was taken down, July 6, 17;-<o, 
and six days after re-erected some fifteen or twenty 
rods fnrther up-stream, where a new d;im was built 
the first dam being taken up. Mr. Sewall and Mr. 
Linscott owned and run the Gristmill together, be- 
fore this w :s entirely worn out Mr. Sewall built a 
Sawmill near, but a little below. A building con- 
nected with this was the third Gristmill in town. Ic 
had one run of stones. A shop was built a few years 
later, north-west of these, but near, in which a small 
saw was put in motion for splitting plank, &c. He 
added in width to the Sawmill enou^•h to accommo- 
date another saw. Not long after this the shop was 
taken down, and the Sawmill and Gristmill sold. — 
Another saw was put into the Sawmill, run a few 
years and then taken out ; the irons being sold to 
Dummer Sewall. These mills were burned in the 
Spring of 1^19, just after J. VV, Butterfield had sold 
them. The first Sawmill having become decayed 
and useless, in lb^03 or 1804, Samuel Linscott and 
others built a Sawmill some distance below these, 
and drew water to carry it throui^h a very long 
flume. This having become partially decayed, in 
1819 it was taken down. Some of the old owners 
selling out, and others joining in the enterprise, a 
double Sawmill was erected in October 1819, where 
Parks' Mill now .stands. A new dam was built just 
above this mill, with a wasteway on its south-east 
side ; and a Gristmill was put up on the other side 



History of C'iiesterville. 51 

of the wasteway. These mills did a fair business 
for several years. A FuUin^mill. too, adjoining the 
Gristmill was in operation some time. The Sawmill 
was reduced to one saw, and Clapboard and Shingle 
Machines put in the place of the other. In Jan. 
1849 these mills were burned, and the present ones 
were erected soon after. 

About 1823, or 4, Dummer Sew^all made another 
dam some distance below, and put up a Sawmill. 
.At this some business was done in sawino^ boards, 
clapboards, &c. . for several years. It became some- 
what decayed and was taken down a number of years 
ago. It stood near the present site of the Starch 
Factory. 

49. — Timber Lands. 

Around the Center Mills, and in several other 
parts of the town, there were originally extensive 
growths of pine ; which, if standing now, at the 
present worth, would be of immense value. The ad- 
vance in the price of pine timber has been great 
since the early settlement of Chesterville. A few 
facts will illustrate this statement. A tract esteemed 
one of the most valuable and beautiful in the town, 
not far from 1817, was purchased for ^1400, which 
had almost trebled in value within the five previous 
years. Within the next eighteen years enough was 
cut off and sold, amply to refund the purchase mon- 
ey, when it was sold for nine thousand dollars. — 
Another tract, though formerly of small value, was 
bought for ^35. During the next twenty-four years 



52 flisTORY OF Chesterville. 

three hundred dollars was realized for timber cut 
off. It was th(>n sold for one thousand seven hun- 
dred dollars. In 182';, a seven acre lot in the north- 
east part of the town was valued hy an appraising 
committee at ^'2'2. About eighteen years after a 
similar committee set the sam^^ lot at $1-jO Con- 
siderable timber had been cut off in the interim. 

50. — Keiths Mill's. 

The Sawmill built in 1T92, on Wilson's Stream, 
at what has since been called Keith's Mills, although 
on the north side of the stream, as it then was , 
stood, no doubt, within the present limits of Chester- 
ville ; and was the second in the town which was 
put in operation. The Gristmill erected about the 
same time, stood north, or in shore of the Sawmill, 
and just outside, in the stream of the present Saw- 
mill. The town line, probably, laid through this 
Gristmill. As the propelling wheel was in the 
southerly part of the building, and the stones not 
far from the middle, it may not improperly be called 
the second Gristmill in the present tovs^n. These 
mills were built by Samuel Sewall. Not far from 
the beginning of the present century he sold to Ku- 
fus Davis. After occupying them a few years Mr. 
Davis sold to Edward Locke. He occupic^d them 
very little, and they ran down. The upper part of 
the Sawmill frame was taken down, moved to the 
Locke farm, and became a cider house. A. fri^shet 
destroyed the dam immediatelv above the Gristmill, 



History of Chestervii.le. 53 

and undermined and partially carried it away. Just 
before this a new Sawmill standing nearly or quite 
its length down-stream of the present one, had been 
raised by the ])redecessors of the owners of that now 
existing. This was about 1S()9. 

The first Gristmill on the south side of the stream 
at this ])lace was built by Edward Locke and his 
son not far from ISll The stones of the old mill 
were used This underwent some alterations, the 
frame being once rebuilt ; but, in August 1828 it 
was sold to Jonas Davis, who built "a new mill, 
which did a fair business. Within a few years he 
has put in Burr stones for wheat, which, with a 
good bolt and cleanser, and a corn-cob cracker, makes 
this a vahiable mill. He has also a shingle machine, 
a circular cross-cut saw, and a machine for washing 
clothes, propelled by water. Lately he has added 
a thresher and some other machinery. 

51. — E. Bennet's Auger Factory. — Joseph 
Keith's Fulling and Carding Mill. 

About 1816 Elisha Bennet, jr. put up a shop just 
below the then existing Gristmill, and put in motion 
a trip-hammer, the second in town. He carried on 
the auger making business, and some other kinds of 
smith work for a year or two and then sold out and 
left the town. Joseph Keith was the purchaser. — 
He i:un carding machines in this building, fulled, 
colored and dressed cloth, a few years, when he 
moved it off and put up the present fulling and 
carding mill Here, with some partners at different 
times, he has done a good business. 



54 lIlSTOUY OF CuE.sTErivii.i.t;. 

52. — Collins liOVEJov's Axe Factory. 

In 1840 Collins Lovejoy, jr., built a shop a few 
rods below Keitb's Fulling-mill. He put in motion 
a trip-hammer, and applied water power to propel 
a grindstone, emery polishing wheels, blow his fires, 
&c. Here he carried on the axe making business a 
few years, to a greater extent than any one else in 
this region. Although the stream at this place is 
not the town line, still the Sawmill on the north 
side is in Farmington, This has been much improv- 
ed of late, and includes a Threshing Machine, Shingle 
Machine, Circular and Jig Saws, a Circular Crosscut 
Saw, a Lathe, and a superior Planing Machine. 

5o. — 'Ax Unfixisheo 'Sawmill. 

In 1783 Benjamin Whittier and one or two others 
with him built a dam across Wilson's Stream a few 
rods below what is called the Whittier Bridge, and 
erected a Sawmill. This, however, was never put in 
operation ; for ^within a year or two a freshet gullied 
around the end of the dam, and swept almost the 
whole structure down river. The soil being sandy, 
with a bed of clay underneath, a dam could not 
well stand unless very thoroughly made and secured, 
which would not repay the cost. 

54. — Change of Town Line. 

This was in the territory included in Chesterville 
at its incorporation, as Farmington was bounded by 
a direct line from the mouth of the Little Norridge- 
wock to the moutli of Wilson's Stream. This placed 



History of Chesterville. 55 

the stream wholly m Chesterville at the site of this 
mill. Between the two points above mentioned the 
stream was made the town line, a few years after 
the incorporation of Chesterville. This was the second 
Sawmill erected in this town. 

55- — Mills at Farmington Falls. 

The first mill in Chesterville at Farmington Falls 
was bnilt about 1830 for dressing hemp. The hemp 
mania, (if this is the right term,) which had raged 
awhile, dying away, the building was used for card- 
ing wool and various other purposes. It has a Plan- 
ing Machine, Lathe, Circular Saw. &c. 

A few years later a Sawmill was built just above 
the Hemp Mill. It did a good business for several 
years, and contained some other machinery under 
the same roof. In Oct. 1855 it was carried away 
by a freshet, and rebuilt in 1857. That freshet was 
believed to have been the highest and most power- 
ful freshet within the memory of the oldest inhabi- 
tant, not excepting that of 1820, which swept off 
the bridgre and all the mills at Farminsrton Falls. — 
The freshet of 1855 rose twenty-two feet above low 
water mark at the bridge. A building has been 
put up and finished within two or three years past, 
just below the old Hemp Mill, and near the Bridge, 
intended for a Machine Shop. It contains a Shingle 
Machine and Threshing Machine. (Now, 1875, used 
for a Spool Factory and Gristmill.) 

56. — Wing's Mills. 
In 1805 Allen Wing built a Sawmill in the south- 
east part of the town, on a stream rising in Fayette 



oC) History of Chesteuville. 

and falling into Parker's Pond This mill did a good 
business under the management of David and Alden 
Wing, sons of Allen Wing, for years. Quantities of 
red oak for ship's plank were sawed here. A Grist- 
mill, Shingle Machine and Clapboard Machine were 
afterwards put in operation a little below the Saw- 
mill. In these mills much grinding has been done, 
and much lumber has been shaped for market. 

57. — Accident to Eli L. Wing. 

By a belt connected with some of the machinery 
of these mill?, Eli L. Wing, David Wi.ag's son, lost 
his arm in 1887. As he was adjusting a belt his 
hand was caught, and in a moment his arm with the 
shoulder blade was torn from his body. He was 
little better than dead when found a few minutes af- 
ter, but by good attention he finally recovered. An 
individual who viewed the place soon after the oc- 
currence informed the writer that by the blood spat- 
tered overhead and around the walls of the room it 
was evident the arm must have been carried around 
with the belt many times. 

58. — Melancholy Death of Daniel Bachelder. 

On the loth day of January 1858, a still more 
serious occurrence took place in the building, and 
within a few feet of the same spot where youn^ 
Wing lost his arm. Mr. Daniel Bachelder, aged 
about 50, who owned the Shingle A'achine and Grist- 
mill, went below to help start his shingle wheel, 
which was somewhat fastened with ice. He took 



lllSTOUY OF CllliSlERVII.LE. 57 

with hini an axe and an iron bar. About an hour 
after he was found dead, by David Wing, who hap- 
pened to be there on business, near where he found 
liis son in 1839. The wheel was going. The body 
of My. Bachelder hiy balanced across a fence or rail- 
ing near the wheel, his feet touching or very near 
it. The iron bar was standing against tliis railing as 
though placed there after being used. The axe was 
found in another place. On oue arm of a wheel just 
above the platform covering the waterwheel was a 
mark evidently made by a blow fiom the bar point. 
8ome violent blow had bruised and injured the side 
of Mr. Bachelder s face, and had broken his neck. 
The probability is that the blow c-iime from the bar 
on the starting of the wheel, and that his death was 
instantaneous. He is represented to have been a 
very worthy citizen, an honest man and a humble 
Christian. 

Wing's Mill's aft^r being purchased by Benjamin 
and Daniel Bachelder, were considerably improved. 

5b. — Mill below Sand Pond. 
In the early part of the present century William 
Bennet put up a shop on the brook between Sand 
Pond and Locke's Pond, and set in motion a trip- 
hammer, the first in town, together with some other 
machinery. The stream at the place is small, but 
the power is increased by a fall of about twenty feet. 
Mr. Bennet sold his interest a few years after, and 
a Shingle Machine or Clapboard Machine, or both, 
were run some time, and then a Lathe, but the 
power had ceased to be used in 18 -5 6. 



58 History of C-he^teuvillk. 

60. — Mills on MiGurdy's Strf.a?h. 

About 1816 Francis Tufts put a dam across Mc- 
Gurdy's Stream near its mouth and built a Sawmill. 
Some three years after he sold to John (lakes and 
others, \vho put up a frame for a Gristmill, but 
never put the mill in operaSiou. They repaired the 
dam which, resting on a bed of sand, had been un- 
dermined, and run the saw. Part of these owners 
sold to Leonard and Joel Billings in 1824, and soon 
after the latter put in operation the first Oil ]\Iill iu 
the town. In 1827 the privilege was destroyed by a 
freshet. Not long after Billings and E,uss built a 
dam a few rods above the site of the old one and 
put up a Sawmill, and Joel Billings erected an Oil 
Mill at the same time. A few years later tlie mills 
chan^jed owners and a Shingle Machine was intra- 
duced. About 1842 the mills having become dilapi- 
dated by age were abandoned, and the power has 
not been since used. McGurdy's Stream is peculiar 
for the warmth of its water, has comparatively little 
descent or fail in its course, and rnns along a sandy 
valley through a channel in which few stones ap- 
pear. The volume of water is not large, and a dam 
and mill above Whittier's Pond interfered somewhat 
with the operations of the mills whose history is 
here given. 

61. — Saavmill Above Whittier's Pond. 

In 1827 a Sawmill was built in Chesterville by 
several men residing in Vienna. This was on Mc- 



HiSTOKY OF Chf.sterville. 59 

Gurdy's Stroam, ?ome three-fourths of a mile above 
Whitticr's Pond, and less than half a mile northerly 
from tb.e bridge and road near Cyrus S. Whittier's 
residence. The mill run down by decay about 1844, 
and a new one was built in 1845 by Saunders INIor- 
rill and Thomas Dow. Air. Dow afterwards suc- 
ceeded to the whole ownership. Both the first and 
second mills had a profitable amount of business. 

i]'l. — Starch Faciory. 

A starch Factory, the first and only one in town, 
was erected in 1844 on the lower mill privilege at 
the Center Mills. It stands on or near the ground 
which had been occupied by the last Sawmill built 
by Dummer Sewall. It was profitably operated for 
a few years, when an unforeseen calamity, the potato 
rot, interfered with the business. It was run, how- 
ever, to a limited extent, many years after every oth- 
er similar establishment in the county had been 
abandoned. 

63. — Tanneries. 

The first Tannery in town was started by Barna- 
bas P. Merrick about 1807. It was on the south 
side of the stream, near, but a little above the 
Bridge, at the Center Mills. Water drawn from the 
long flume of Linscott and others propelled a stone 
for grinding bark a "number of years. Mr. Merrick 
likewise manufactured boots and shoes. About 1822 
he sold his tannery and moved to Pittsfield. A year 
or two after Mr. Merrick started his business at the 



60 PJisTORY OF Chf.stervillt:. 

Center Mills. Billings »Sc Maddocks started the busi- 
ness near the residence of the latter, in the north- 
east part of the town. They c rried it on tocrether 
till about 1816, when they dissolved partnership. — 
After this "Sir. jNIaddocks prossecuted the business a 
few Tears at the old stand. My. Billings put down 
vats and built a tan-house on his own land, (the 
Clarke Whittier farm,) and carried on the business 
several years. Neither of the yards are now used. 

About I'^S-I: Stephen and John Gilman made a 
beginning at the yard now existing at the Center 
Mills, oppf^site the Starch Factory. They soon fail- 
ed, however, and removed from the ])Iace. Several 
others have successively owned and improved the 
yard. In L'^SB a cast iron Bark Mill, propelled by 
water power, prepared the tan f)r use, a large 
building covered the vats, with an attic for finishing 
leather. It was then can'ied on by Riggs & Phil- 
brick. [Mr. Riggs has since become sole proprietor 
and an account of the improvements he has intro- 
duced will make an interesting chapter of the ap- 
pendix to this histoiT.] 

A little west of this tan-yard are two or three 
buildin<'-s nsed for the manufacture of matches 

64. — Were's Tannery. 

About 1833 Joseph E. Were put up buildings and 
made a tan-yard at Farmington Falls on the Ches- 
terville side of the river not far below the Bridge. 
This estdblishment had many conveniences and facili- 
ties for saving labor and tanning at any season of 



History of Chesterville. 61 

the year. It was on a scale superior to most tanne- 
ries in the vicinity. After a few years it was de- 
stroyed by fire, and rebuilt on a somewhat smaller 
scale. The business was carried on a few years 
longer by Mr. Were and Mr. Bunter, but was at 
length abandoned, and the buildings taken down or 
converted to other uses. 

65. — First Meeting - House, 

The first Meeting-house in Chesterville was raised 
June 15, 1815. The dimensions were about forty- 
five by thirty-six feet, with nineteen feet posts. It 
was put up mostly by the Congregationalists and 
Baptists, and was started by voluntary subscription. 
It was boarded and the roof was shingled, so that a 
Sabbath meeting was held in it on the 16th of July 
of the same year. The stand for the preacher was 
made of rough planks placed on carpenter's saw- 
horses, and two of them were the pieces of a plank 
which broke under two men while placing the raf- 
ters in raising. The men saved themselves from 
falling with the plank by catching on the timbers, 
although one of them had a broad axe in his hand. 
The seats, too, were all rough and temporary. The 
house was clapboarded, the doors were hung and th^^ 
pulpit built within the next two or three years, but 
the pews were not made till 1820. The previous 
year the pews were sold and conveyed accordino; to 
a plan, for enough to pay for 'the house ; at which 
time some other denominations became owners. Af- 
ter several years it was re-clapboaided and painted 



62 History of Chesterville. 

white, and the pulpit, which had been high, lower- 
ed down. It was used for meetings on the Sabbath 
and at other times, on its first location, a little south- 
east of the Center Mills, till March 1851. Rev. .lo- 
th am Sewall preached the first, and Rev. Samuel 
Wheeler the last sermon in it, as it then stood. A 
few of the choir, with the same leader, attended on 
both occasions, although the term between them was 
almost thirty-six years. 

66. — Removal of Meeting -House. 

March 25, 1851, the taking down of the Meeting- 
house was commenced. This was effected without 
accident, except that Abner Pierce was rendered 
temporarily lame by the swinging of a post which 
struck him near the hips- The house thus demol- 
ished was removed to Keith's Mills, or North Ches- 
terville, where it was rebuilt in a different form, the 
same year, and 'dedicated in December. The di- 
mensions at the sills and beams are the same as be- 
fore, but it contains a less number of pews, for a 
piazza occupies five feet across one end. The posts 
are shorter, the roof steeper, the windows fewer and 
larger, and a belfry is added. Here hangs a bell, 
weighing about 400 pounds purchased by Rev. Jo- 
tham Sewall, a year or two before his death. This 
is the first and the only bell in the town. 

67. — Meeting - House at Chesterville Center. 

While the first Meeting-House was being rebuilt 
at Keith's Mills another Meeting-House wa? erected 



History of Chesterville. 63 

and finished at Chesterville Center. This house is 
somewhat hirger than that at North Chesterville and 
likewise has a belfry. Both houses are union hous- 
es, and they are the only Meeting-Houses in town. 
Some of the inhabitants in the southern part of the 
town own pews in North Fayette Meeting-House, 
situated about a half-mile south of the town line. 
Similarly situated are some in the north-east part of 
tlie town who attend meetings in the union Meeting- 
Jiouse at Farmington Falls. 

68. — School ^ Houses. 

The first School House in Chesterville was built 
by subscription several yours before the incorpora- 
tion of the town. It stood on the John Jlitchell lot, 
near the present dwelling of David M. Hamilton, but 
was never fully finished. It was used for schools 
and religious meetings a number of years. The earli- 
est school in the settlement was here taught by a 
mistress. Miss Philena Whitaker, commencing early 
in tlu' season of 1797. She taught here two sum- 
mers, giving general satisfaction. Soon after closing 
the last school of the two, in August 179l:s, she w^as 
married to Rev. Jonathan Ward of New Miford, now 
Alna, by Rev. Mr. Gillet of Hallow^ell, in a public 
meeting at the house of Jotham Sewall. This is 
believed to have been the first marriage in the place, 
and that only one, while an inhabitant of the town, 
w^as married at an earlier date. William Whittier 
of Farmington was married to Agnes, daughter of 
John Butterfield, sen., at Mr. Butterfield's house in 



64 History of Chesterville. 

the north-east part of the town, some three and a 
half or four years before. Another School House 
was built by subscription, near Mr. Bragdon's, a few 
years before the plantation became a town, which 
was used a short time and then sold. The first school 
in that vicinity was taught by a Miss Smith, before 
the School-house was put up, in Mr. Bragdon's barn. 
She was afterwards married to Josiah Norcross, sen., 
of Farmington. 

The first school that was taught in the first school- 
house after the town was incorporated was taught 
by a Miss Robinson. The house was used for schools 
and meetings till another schoolhouse was built. It 
was at length sold to Wm. Stickney for a dwelling 
house. 

69.— School Districts. 

For several years after the town was organized it 
was divided into four school districts. A school- 
house for District No. 1 was built near Jotham Sew- 
all's south line, which was used for schools and 
meetings a number of years About 1816 it was re- 
moved, on a division of the district, and stood several 
years where the bric^: one at the Center Mills now 
stands. The brick schoolhouse was erected in 18-3:-*. 
This district was originally large in territory, em- 
bracing all the central and northerly part of the 
town, excepting the neighborhood in the north-east 
part. 

District No. 2, at first embraced the southern part 
of the town east of the Ridge, and one or two fami- 



History of Chesteryille. 65 

lies west of it. For this a schoolhousc was built at 
the road angle south-east of the residence of Moses 
French. When this became old and out of repair 
the district was divided, and two schoolhouses were 
erected, one on each leading road. 

What was once called Russellborough, in the 
south-west corner of the town, formed District No, 3. 
The inhabitants of this district, not being numerous, 
got along without a schoolhouse many years, but at 
length one was erected. This is believed to be the 
only school district in the town remaining unaltered 
from its formation to the present time. It is too 
small to divide, and lias no neighbors so situated as 
to ask annexation. 

District No. 4 was constituted from the northeast 
part of the town. Its schoolhouse stood near the 
residence of Peter Whittier for several years. This 
territory now embraces three districts, each having 
a schoolhouse. 

As before remarked District No. 1 was originally 
large. By divisions made at different times it made 
eight districts about 1853. One of these eight never 
belonged to No. 1, except as wild land. It was 
settled after some of the divisions were made. Just 
previous to 1854. the town contained fifteen districts. 
That year quite an overturn was made and several 
districts were annihilated by annexing them to oth- 
ers. This work was mostly confined to the territory 
formerly included in District No, 1. All the fifteen 
districts excepting two had schoolhouses, several of 
which were thrown out of use and subsecjueutly sold 



66 History of Chestep.villk. 

or taken down. This reduced the number of dis- J 
triets to eleven. ' 

70. — Villages. — Center Mills. 

The largest village in Chestervillc is at the Center 
Mills. Within a few years past, it has contained a j 
tavern, two or three stores, two blacksmith's shops, ' 
a Post Office, a harness maker, a wheelwright, pail, 
match, organ-pipe, and starch factories, and some 
other establishments. 

"^1. — Other Villages. 

The village second in size is at Keith's Mills. It 
has a Post Office, tavern, store, two smith's shops, 
with several other shops and mills. The villa<ye on 
the Chestervillc side of Farmington Falls contains 
one store, three mills and machine-shops, one smith, J 
and a few other establishments. ' 

72. — Roads. 

The first road through Chesterville was cut and 
cleared in 1780. From the Sandy River settlements, 
(afterwards Farmington,) it passed near Keith's Mills, 
over Locke's Hill, by the Center Mills, along on 
nature's turnpike — The Ridge — to a point near the 
present residence of Seth Norcross, then turned 
south-easterly by the residences of Mr. Norcross and 
Moses French, just beyond which it entered what 
was then called "The Five Mile Woods," (there be- 
ing no settlers there for that distance for some time 



History of Chestervillk. ^"i 

after the settlements were made farther north,) — and 
thence to the Stone Mills, then called Taylor's Mills. 
On the second hill on this side of Taylor's the road 
was at first cleared and used east of the present lo- 
cation, and nearly over the top of the hill, which is 
an elevated point. On the southerly cant of this hill, 
a little below the summit, was a spot of very thick 
evergreen timber, through which the road passed, 
and which bore the name of '-The Dark Entry." 

In December 1790 a road was cleared which left 
the first north of McGurdy's Pond, and passed over 
the Bachelder Hill, and joined the other aloout half a 
mile south of the residence of Elisha Perry. On one 
of these roads the mail was carried from Hallowell 
to Farmington, on horseback, for years. It was also 
the main road used for marketing produce and trans- 
porting goods to the Sandy River region. A branch 
from the first road near the residence of Isaac Eaton, 
and another following the Ridge almost to its end, 
as well as one from the first, south-easterly of the 
residence of Moses French, — all leading to Fayette 
through different neighborhoods, were opened at a 
later date. 

A continuation of the river road, on the west side 
of the river in Farmington, by the settlements of Mr. 
Maddocks and others, in the north-east part of the 
town, led to Pilsbury's Corner in New Sharon ; from 
whence it led one way to Vienna and the other to 
New Sharon and Mercer. 

73. — The Co-os Road. 
Another road leaving the first at Jotham Se wall's 



70 History of Ciiesterville. 

the bed of the river. Quite a number of bridges at 
the Falls have been swept away by freshets. 

Another bridge across the Wilson Stream costs the 
town no small sum. It is the first bridge above the 
mouth of the stream, and is known as Whittier's 
Bridge. Ciiesterville has to maintain more than one 
half of this, and the ground being lower on the south- 
east side of the stream, it sometimes happens, — as 
after the freshet of Oct. 1855, — that Chesterville is 
obliged to rebuild when Farmington is not. 

Another bridge spans the Wilson Stream at Keith's 
Mills. This place has been left bridgeless after ma- 
ny a freshet. Sometimes it has been only partially 
swept off; and once in a while part of the lumber 
used in its construction has been saved by efforts 
made below. In consequence of a rain on the 6th 
of April 1857, a severe and destructive freshet oc- 
curred. The water did not rise so high as at many 
other times, but the damage was chiefly done by 
the ice which had become thicker than usual during 
the previous winter. Neither had there been, up to 
the time of the rain, much weather tending to weak- 
en it. The banks of the- stream too, above the 
place, were more destitute of trees and bushes to 
hold back the ice, than they had formerly been- As 
a consequence the ice came down in large cakes 
and with amazing force. During the night of the 
6th the little which lay within some twenty rods 
above the bridge, had partially demolished one of 
its wooden piers, and a jamb of ice had formed just 
above the opening thus made. Hopes were enter- 



History of CiiEsrEiiViLLE. 71 

tained that this jamb would hold on till the water 
subsided, but these were vain hopes. About noon 
of the 7th, that, with other ice from above had fin- 
ished the broken pier, smashed up the other, and 
set most of,! the plank? and stringers afloat. The 
stone pier in the middle of the stream, as well as 
the stone abutment on the north side, were sadly 
disfif^ured ; many stones being tlirown into the stream. 
Some of the timber was recovered, being stopped by 
a jamb of ice which rested a few hours below the mills. 
A shop standing near the bridge and p.artly over the 
stream was seriously damaged. Mr. Lovejoy, the 
owner^ sustained considerable loss, as the shop had 
to be taken down and rebuilt, A new bridge in 
place of the one carried away was not made passa- 
ble till the following September. This is, apparently 
the best bridge ever erected at this place. The stone 
pier and abuutments were built over or repaired, 
rendering the bridge higher than any of the preced- 
ing bridges had been. On the whole it has been 
very expensive maintaining a bridge here. 

Across the Little Norrido-ewock we have bridges 
of greater or less magnitude. Most of these are 
rarely destroyed by floods. One or two nearest the 
mouth of the stream are somewhat exposed. In the 
freshet of Oct. 1855 the lowest of these took a short 
trip -'up stream." This not unfrequently happens to 
bridges across McGurdy's stream, not far from its 
mouth, also across some flat brooks. The Sandy 
River and Wilson's Stream rise so much more rapid- 
ly than their lower tributaries that the current for a 



72 History of Chestervii.le. 

while sets with no small force in a direction oppo- 
site to its usual course. In later years some of these 
bridges have been loaded with stones, so that they 
do not float even when the water covers them seve- 
ral feet. There are four bridges across McGurdy's 
Stream, the two lower ones in exposed situations. — 
The water of this stream is much warmer than the 
water of other streams in the vicinity, which is sup- 
posed by some to produce damage to bridges by 
hastening the rotting of the wood-work. 

75. — Religious Societies. 

The earliest efforts to form a church within the 
limits of the present town of Chesterville were made 
in 1789. These resulted, after some delay, in organ- 
izing a Congregational Church of nine members, five 
of whom resided in Hallowell, (which then contained 
Augusta,) and four in Chester Plantation and vicin- 
ity, Feb 25, 1790. It was called the church in 
Chester Plantation, as there existed another in Hal- 
lowell, or what is now Augusta. A few years after 
the name of Hallowell Church was assumed. Later 
still it was joined with the old church, and after 
more than a year separated again from it. The Hal- 
lowell and Chester members, others having joined 
them, remained together till August 1796, about a 
year after Eev. E. Gillet was ordained pastor of the 
church, when they became two distinct organizations. 
The part embracing Chesterville took the name of 
a Congregational Church of Christ in Chester and 
Farmington. 'I'his was the first Congregational 



History of Chesteuvh.le. 13 

Church and the odIv one in this region for a number 
of years. Individuals in several of the adjoining 
townships became connected Vvith it, and of these, 
with others, ultimately, other churches in New Sha- 
ron, Farmington, Strong, and VViiton were formed. 
Eight of the members of this church have become min- 
isters. This church is now considerably smaller as 
to numbers than it has been in some past periods of 
its existence. The next church organized is suppos- 
ed to have been the Freewill Baptist Church in the 
north-east part of the town, mentioned in Judge Par- 
ker's History of Farmington. Another Freewill Bap- 
tist Church was organized in the central part of 
the town in the spring of 1^19. This church has 
been enlarged by additions at various tim.es. Two 
or three of its members have become preachers. A 
year or two later a small Calvinist Baptist Church 
was organized. Years before this individuals in 
Chesterville had joined a chuixh in Fayette of this 
denomination and now united with the church in 
Chesterville. It prospered for several years, when it 
became divided on matters of discipline, and was ul- 
timately dissolved. Some of its members joined the 
Freewill Baptists, some left the town, and a few have 
died. One belongs to a church of the same name in 
Hallowell. There has been for years a, number of 
Methodists in town, though somewhat scattered. — 
More of these, perhaps, live in the south part of the 
town than in other sections, who are connected wdtli 
the society worshipping in the meeting-house in North 
Fayette. A society of the Christian order probably 



76 History of Coestervii.le. 

time several individuals have traded at Keith's Mills, 
each trading for awhile, closing up business and be- 
ing succeeded by another. Sometimes there has been 
no merchant in the village, and once or twice there 
have been two at the same time. 

The earliest store at the Center Village was open- 
ed by Samuel Melvin, jr., about the year 1817. He 
continued the business some four or five yeai-s, when 
he sold to Foss & Moore. They remained only two 
or thiee years when they sold and the business was 
carried on by others. Quite a number of merchants 
have traded in this village, some for a longer, and 
others for a shorter time. A few times the place 
has contained two stores at once. 

The first store in the south pvart of the town was 
kept by William Wyman in a part of his father's 
house, where F. Currier now lives. tie continued 
the business abiut a year and then quit. It is not 
known that any other store has been kept in that 
part of the town, except recently in Abiel Mosher's 
house, west of the Ridge. As mentioned before, 
there is one store in the north-east part of the town, 
and has been for years. [That of the late William 
Whittier, Esq., which was closed after his decease.] 

78. — Lawyer, 

About 1843 William Tripp opened an office at 
Keith's Mills. He made but a short stay there, and 
removed to Wilton, It is not known that any oth- 
er lawyer ever opened an office in town. 



History of Chesterville. 77 

79. — Tobacconist. 

William Stickney, formerly a resident in Hallowell, 
settled on the lot between those of William Bradbu- 
ry and John Mitchell, about the year 1S08. By oc- 
cupation he was a tobacconist. He manufactured 
figs from the leaf, which he sold in considerable 
quantities. After a few years he dropped the pur- 
suit and turned his whole atttention to farming. 

80. — Blacksmiths. 

Alexander Allen, it is believed, was the first black- 
smith at the Center Mills. After a few years- he 
left and was succeeded by Elisha Bennet, who re- 
moved to the place from New Bedford Mass., in 1806. 
Mr. Bennet worked at the Mills about a year, when 
he bought a part of the Thomas Davenport lot, put 
up buildings and carried on the business several 
years. He made steelyards, screw ffugers, chisels, 
&c. After about eleven and a half years his health 
failed. He and his two sons manufactured the first, 
and perhaps the only steelyards and screw augers 
made in the town. He died in 1819. Nathaniel 
Staples was the first blacksmith at Keith's Mills. — 
Within forty years several individuals have carried 
on blacksmithing at Keith's Mills and at the Center 
Village, and but few times are called to mind when 
a journey to some other town was necessary to ob- 
tain iron smith's work. 

81. — Carriages. 

About six or seven years after the close of the 



78 History of Chesterville. A 

last century, or possibb; a little later, the chaise be- 
gan to be introduced into the town. In 1808 few 
double horse wagons existed in this region. Much 
of the transportation of goods, to this town at least, 
was done in horse-carts in the summer season. At 
this period and earlier, strong ox-wagons traversed 
the town in moving goods from Hallowell to Farm- i 
ington. The first single horse wagon in this town 
was built and used by Joseph French, about 1809, 
or 1810. A year or two later Dummer Sewall, jr., 
had a similar one. These were plain farm wagons, 
without springs of any kind. Not long after this 
single riding wagons began to be used. Most of 
them were destitute of springs under the body, and 
were much heavier and less convenient than those 
introduced at a later date. 

82. — Musical Instruments. 

The first musical instrument owned and used in 
Chesterville was a bass-viol brouo-ht bv Jotham Sew- 
all when he removed his family if not before. Sev- 
eral of the kind have been made by Jacob Ames, and 
perhaps by others at a later day, as well as violins 
and tenor viols. The first flute owned in the town 
was Joseph Bradbury's, about the year 1800. The 
first, and so far as the writer knows, the only, pi- 
ano-forte ever in the town, was in the family of 
Jacob Safford, about 18-40, or perhaps earlier. At a 
later date a few melodeons were owned and used in 
Chesterville, These were soon superseded by reed 
organs made in New Sharon. In a few cases these 



History of Ohesterville. 79 

have been, and still are used advantageously to help 
church music. About 1855 Lathrop C. Tilton com- 
menced business at the Center Village. His employ- 
ment has been preparing lumber and making pipes 
for wind organs, Vr^hich he sends to Boston. Since 
commencing his business here he has built an instru- 
liient of this kind, which is not only the iivst in the 
town, but tbe earliest manufactured here, and proba- 
bly in the county. It was finished in 1857, and plac- 
ed in the Center Village Meeting-house for the sum 
of two hundred dollars. The -instrument is. eight feet 
in hight, three feet in width, a^nd six feet long. Its 
compass is four and a half octaves. It has six stops 
named as follows; viz., Principal, Diapason Bass, Open 
Diapason Treble, Melodia Treble, IJulciana, and 
Flute. Its longest pipe is four feet three inches, — 
four by five inches. It has sufficient power to fill 
the house well. It appears to be correctly tuned, 
making excellent and ple,asant music. 

83, — Libraries. 

There is but little doubt that a library existed. in 
Chesterville among its early settlers, perhaps as early 
as 1793. No records of it have been found, and all 
that is known about it is found in the private Jour- 
nal of Jotham Sewall. He mentions meeti.ag the 

"Book Society," and that the books had arrived. 

How long it existed, and how many volumes it con- 
tained is unknown. A Library was started at the 
Center Village not far from 1820, It lived but a 
short time. The books were divided amonp- the share- 



80 History of Cfiesterville. 

holders. Another library was more successfully start- 
ed in the south part of the town about the time of 
the commencement of that at the Center. It is said 
still to exist, while another organization of a similar 
character — some individuals owning shares in both — 
has been in operation there a few years. 

In 1832 a Library was organized at Keith's Mills 
which has kept along quite regularly these twenty- 
six years. It has purchased more than 300 volumes, 
and most of them — if we may judge from their worn 
condition — have been \vell read. It has given much 
information to its shareholders — thirty or more in 
number — and has excited a thirst for more. One 
person has been clerk of the association ever since 
its start, and librarian twelve years. 

84. — Representatives. 

Chesterville, being a small town, never elected a 
representative while under the jurisdiction of Massa- 
chusetts. An approximation to this privilege was first 
enjoyed under the act of separation which allowed 
one delegate each, even from small towns, to meet 
in a Constitutional Convention. To this Convention 
the town sent Ward Locke, in 1819, and raised a 
Committee to furnish him with written instructions, 
which he accordingly received. Mr. Locke was also 
the first representative of Chesterville under the Con- 
stitution of Maine. Pursuant to this constitution and 
the classification laws enacted by its authority, the 
town ha? been allowed representation every two or 



History of Chesterville. 



81 



three years. A list of those chosen to repicscnt the 
t'own is as follows : 



18-21 Ward Locke 

lb-24: David Moniil 

1827 Uavid Morrill 

1830 Dearborn French 

1833 Jothani Bradbwry 

1S35 Seth Norcross 

1837 Dearborn French 



lb40 Cyrus Pierce 
1844: C\rus Pierce 
1847 John Baker 
1851 Oliver Sewall 
185'i Oliver Sewall 
1855 Elias PL Brown 
1«57 David H. Chandler 



In 1852 'Reuben Lowell was chosen one of the 
electors of president and vice pre^ident of the Unit- 
ed States, for this State. Up to the commencement 
of 1858, no State Senator or Counsellor has been 
selected from Chesterville. 

85. — Wild Animals. 

As has been before suggested moose were plenty 
in the vicinity in the days of the early settlers. — 
Dears were still more abundant, and in spring and 
autumn rather troublesome, often killing sheep, cattle, 
and hogs. William Bradbury lost three young cat- 
tle by them at one time. In summer the bears fed 
much upon blueberries, and in some instances seve- 
ral of them were seen feeding together on the Plains. 
Tradition as well as written sketches preserve several 
anecdotes relative to them. On one occasion when 
Mr. Linscott was in quest of his cattle, he stopped 
to pick and eat some strawberries, moving abcut on 
his hands and knees. He soon saw a bear at i dis- 
tance, apparently in ''a state of wonderment," 1 aving 
just espied Mr. Linscott, and seeming to be trying to 
make out what sort of an animal he was. He would 



82 • History of Chester villi:. 

come a little nearer, rear on his hind legs, and look 
intently at the object before him. Mr. L. kept on 
picking berries, crawling nearer and nearer to the 
bear. When he fonnd himself within a rod or two 
of the bear, and had got hold of a pitch-knot, he 
suddenly raised himself to an upright position, tak- 
ing off his hat with one hand, and throwing the knot 
at his black associate with the other, he spread out 
his arms, gesticulated as frightfully as possible, and 
shouted at the top of his voice. liis sable friend 
seemed thunderstruck and motionless for a moment, 
then recovering from his consternation he made the 
best possible use of his locomotive powers in a speedy 
flight. 

At another time ]Mr. Linscott found his cattle 
huddled together, the smaller ones in the middle, 
and a bear moving around, seeking to make fiist to 
a victim. When the bear in his earnestness would 
venture up near the cattle, one or two of the larger 
animals would run at him and drive him back a lit- 
tle way. Soon he woulcl return again, and again 
have to retreat before the threatening horns of an 
ox or two. Mr. Linscott was somewhat amused 
with their evolutions and watched them awhile. — 
Whether he shot bruin or tried his luck in giving him 
a fright, tradition saith not- 

Opposite the two story dwelling-house in which 
JJummer Sevvall lived many years, lay a large pine, 
some three or four feet in diameter, probably cut for 
a fence on the east side of the road. Beyond this he 
had a hog-yard. Bruin called there once, somewhat 
luuigry no doubt, to borrow a little live pork. Mr. 



History of Chestervit.le. 83 

Sewall, not choosing to accommodate him, rested 
his old war musket over the pine los^, and put a qui- 
etus to any future attempts of the sort So the bear 
furnished instead of filching pork. 

Stephen Titcomb, Esq., once called to pass the 
night at Dummer Sewalls, on a journey to Topsham. 
In the course of the evening Mr. Sewall asked Mr. 
Titcomb if he would like some beai steak for break- 
fast? "I should," said Mr. Titcomb ;" Have you 
any V The reply was — " ,No. But I think we can 
get some in the morning." When morning came 
they were up betimes, and Mr. Sewall took his gun, 
and said to Mr. Titcomb, '-Yoke my oxen in the 
yard, there, take the drag and drive over towards a 
small pond near the Plains," pointing out what di- 
rection to go; "and," said he, "when you hear the 
report of the gun, drive towards it." Both did as 
indicated. Mr. Sewall came in sight of several bears, 
which were eating berries, selected his victim, fired, 
and ran up and bled the animal. The team was not 
fcir behind ; so they loaded their booty, hauled it 
home, and had fresh meat for breakfast. 

Early in the morning of June 8, 1794, Jotham 
Sewall and a few of his neighbors were alarmed by 
the bellowing of some creature in distress. They 
hastened towards the place from which the sound 
came, and found a small ox wounded and disabled 
by a bear, on the east side of the Little Norridge- 
wock, easterly from his residence. As they drew 
near the bear moved off. They looked up the owner, 
John Butterfield, who concluded it best to kill and 
skin the ox, which was accordingly done. A trap 



84 HlOroRY OF CflESTERVILLE. 

was set, bated by the rarcass, and in a few days af^ 
ter bruin was found in the trap. He was soon ])ut 
where he would "stay put," and gore no more oxen. 
At the early yjeriod of the first settlement of Ches- 
terville the country abounded in game. Of the ani- 
mals valued for their fur. beavers and otters were not 
unfrequently trapped. Foxes, minks, and muskrats 
were also sought for their fur. These were caught 
in great numbers at certain seasons of the year, by 
those who made it their business, 

SC). — Beaver Dams. 

About the year 1821, John Morrison and Henry 
Titcomb, in straightening the Beaver Dam Brook, a 
tributary of Wilson's Stream, to facilitate the running 
of logs, cut through a beaver dam, across where the 
brook undoubtedly once ran. This was about fifty 
rods southerly of the dwelling-house of the late Josi- 
ah Norcross, Jr. They found the teeth-marks on the 
ends of limbs and sticks. Apparently these indus- 
trious and sagacious animals had felled a pine tree, 
some eighteen inches in diameter, across the brook^ 
and stuck down and wove together limbs and sticks, 
filling in earth above, thus forming a dam about five 
rods long, and from two to six or seven feet in 
hight, so firm that it was not easily removed. In- 
deed, it had to all appearance turned the natural 
course of the brook around the west end of the dam. 
This brook is the outlet of I^ocke's Pond. Its bed 
lays so low that in a quick rise of Wilson's Stream 
the water rushes back into the pond, with quite a 



History of Chesterville. 85 

current. There is supposed to have been a beaver 
dam, anciently, across the Little Norrid^ewock, about 
a hundred rods above Park's Mills. When passing 
up and down the stream in a canoe, in a bright 
summer day, a ridge or embankment may be seen un- 
der water, extending across the stream, with a break- 
age a few feet wide, in or near the middle of the 
channel. 

87. — Fish. 

Fish were plenty when Chesterville began to be 
settled. Ale wives were very abundant. Mrs. Wheel- 
er says that her father, Mr. Linscott, had a barrel 
of them at one time. When a dam had been built 
at the Center Mills it checked their course up-stream, 
so that the water below would be almost black with 
them. When going to the sea they were seen in 
great numbers passing down the wasteway. As soon 
as they found themselves going through it, in quick 
water, they would turn head to the current, and thus 
back down, no doubt to save the shock below, or pos- 
sibly to avoid striking anything below with the head. 
AJewives w^ere so plenty in Wilson's Stream that Mrs. 
Samuel Sewall caught enough one morning, with on- 
ly her hands, to breakfast her family. Trout and 
some other varieties of fish were caught and afforded 
an important help to the pioneer settlers. Occasion- 
ally they were fortunate enough to enjoy the luxury 
of a salmon. 

It was a problem of exceeding difficulty to solve, 
that pickerel were not formerly found in any of the 



86 History of Chesterville. 

tributaries of the Kennebec in this region, while they 
were somewhat plenty in those of the Androscoggin. 
It was currently reported and believed that Col. 
Charles Morse of Wilton, about thirty i years ago, 
brought seven of these fish in a tub of water from 
some tributary of the Androscoggin and put them in- 
to Wilson's Pond, in Wilton. From this or some 
other cause, however, pickerel have been quite plenty 
in the Kennebec waters of this vicinity for several 
years. 

88. — Serpents. — Power of Fascination. 

This article is not introduced to exhibit a learned 
description of the several species of this legless rep- 
tile. Were the writer competent for such a task, — 
which he is not, — the labor would be by no means 
inviting ; nor would it furnish instruction or enter- 
tainment to such as might undertake its perusal. — 
The object is, rather, to save from oblivion a few in- 
cidents the accounts of which are deemed authentic, 
and which show the fascinating power of common 
snakes. It was not until the writer heard one of 
these incidents, in June 1856, that he had the faint- 
est idea — the smallest thought — that this w^onderful 
power w^as possessed by such serpents as are common 
in this region, or even by one of them. But to the 
anecdotes : — 

Jason Sewall, the tliird son of Samuel Sewall, 
w^ho began the lirst settlement near Keith's Mills, 
and who lived where J. B. Morrison, Esq., now re- 
sides several years, relates, that when iie was about 



History of Chesterville. 87 

seven yenrs old, as he was returning from '^putting 
the cows to pasture," .with a stick in his hand, conf- 
ing near the end of a log which extended angling, 
away from the road, not far from the present ^Iwel- 
Img of R. M. Morrison, in Farmington, he heard an 
nncommon sound, and stopped near the end of the 
log to listen. The first object that caught his eye 
was a small bird, perhaps a sparrow, in a fluttering, 
agitated state, on a bush, beside the log, now and 
then uttering a singular cry. :t soon left the bush 
for another on the other side of the log, alighting a 
little lower than where he first saw it. It was about 
this time that his eye fell up m a serpent of the com- 
mon sort, about two feet long, lying on the log. with 
its head somewhat elevated, and at intervals making 
a slight noise. The bird continued in an aaitated 
state, occasionally flying from one bush to another 
across the log, every titne coming nearer to the ser- 
pent. The serpent appeared to be watching the 
movements of the bird, turning its head so as to look 
directly towards it. When the bird had changed its 
position several times, and had alighted much nearer 
the serpent than when first ?een, it flew in a direct 
line into the open mouth of his snakeship. Our friend 
who had been hearing and seeing now thought it 
time to act. So bringing his stick with a quick, smart 
motion across the snake he broke the spell and lib- 
erated the bird, which flew off, apparently rejoicing 
to regain its liberty. Feeling a measure of that en- 
mity put between the seed of the woman and that of 
the serpent, he repeated his blows till the charmer, 
though charming never so wiselv, was slain. 



S3 History of Chesteiiville. 

.In June 1855, Arthur, son of Reuben Lowell of 
Chesterville, saw a serpent of a species common in 
the vicinity, about eighteen inches long, coiled up on 
the upper side of the stump of a pine tree, which 
had been turned up by the roots. Some five or six 
inches of the serpent's head, neck, &c., being ele- 
vated. He was making a hissing sound, but contin- 
ued motionless, with open mouth. Some four feet 
above him was a small bird, flyiug around in a circle 
about three or four feet in diameter, uttering a chirp- 
in", but uncommon sound. lu its spiral flight it 
came still nearer and nearer to the snake, evident- 
ly verging into the open mouth. When within about 
four inches of that point Arthur deemed it proper 
to interfere. He raised the axe he had in his hand, 
and cut the snake in two, which broke the spell, for 
the bird instantly flew away. 

The following tends towards the conclusion that 
this power is exerted over other animate creatures as 
well as birds. But one would not naturally imagine 
that it could subject one so spry as a frog to its con- 
trol. About the year 1850 Otis H. Sewall, then of 
Chesterville, as he was passing through a small field 
near his house, noticed a frog making short jumps, 
in a zigzag course, gaining slowly towards a striped 
rtnake, some twenty inches long, with the head some- 
what raised, laying on the ground, a little farther on. 
When the frog in one of its jumps had landed about 
eight inches from the snake, the latter sprang and 
caught it by the hind leg. The frog cried out some- 
thing like a cat, and struggled for " dear life," but 
there he was. Mr. S. struck the serpent which imme- 



iiisToiiY OF Chksiervii.le. 89 

diately oper.ed its jaws. The frog now liberated 
leaped oflf, not as he came up, but to the tune of four 
or five feet at a leap, increasing the distance between 
him and his captor with all possible speed. As the 
wiiter had these incidents from credible witnesses he 
cannot doubt their general correctness. 

b:y. TEMPEUA^'CE. 

The first .efforts to form a society in Chesterville 
for the promotion of the cause of Temperance were 
made at a meeting of a few friends of temperance 
movements held at the School-house in District No. 
Eight, not far from the residence of Jacob Ame^. — 
The meeting was held in April, 182S. From the rec- 
ords it appears that some previous labor had been 
bestowed in preparing a Constitution for a society, 
as most, perhaps all, present signed one on the spot. 
The earliest intimation of a desire to form a Society 
here within the recollection of the writer, was drop- 
ped by Jeremiah Eaton at a town meeting, probably 
hi the March previous to the above date. It is no 
doubt true that there were many temperate people 
in the town before this, and perhaps a few total 
abstainers ; still, without an abuse of language, it 
might have been averred that some were drunkards. 
But the evil intended to be cured at the above date 
was not so much drunkenness as the habit of taking 
a dram on almost any occasion. Its mission, as we 
look back upon it, seemed to be to break up the 
customary use of ardent spirits as a beverage, which 
\vas old and time honored. 



90 lIlSlORY OF CllKSlKKVll.I.P:. 

At the meeting before mentioned it was agreed to 
have another on the second Saturday in the follow- 
ing- June, to organize a Soniety. This was according- 
ly held, when Tobias Moore was chosen Chairman, 
and Dr. James Fo^-fj, Secretary. As the Doctor was 
absent William Chaney was chosen Secretary, pro 
tem. This meeting was adjourned to the fourth of 
July following, at which time Dr. Fogg declined the 
secretaryship and John Chaney, Jr., was chosen to 
that office. Fie was continued in the office during 
about two years, during which time the society met 
some four or five times. Printed addresses were read 
at some of these meetings, and alterations to the 
Constitution proposed, discussed and adopted. 

This society kept up its organization till the be- 
ginning of 1836, the last meeting being in March. 
Sometimes the meetings were held quarterly, and 
sometimes monthly. A list of the members found on 
record, (which probably included only those received 
up to July 1833,) contained 199 names, 78 of whom 
are males, the others females. Afterwards more than 
100 became members*. Forty-six were excluded. In 
1834 quite a number of members joined, and among 
others one whole family of ten persons, — Jotham 
Bradbury's,— at one time. — The society had addresses 
or discourses from different individuals, as follows — 
June 28, 1836, by Rev. Jotham Sewall, Jr., 
July 9, 1831, by Dr. J. Caldwell of Farmington, 
July 5, 1832, by Wm. Emmons, Esq., of Augusta. 
Feb. 26, 1833, by Mr. Daniel Sewall, 
Sept. 4, 1833, by Rev. Jotham Sewall, Jr., 
Dec. 3, 1833, bv Mr. Ehsha j\I. Tobie, 



History of Chhsteuvii.le. b\ 

Fpb. 18, 1834, by Mr. E. M. Tobie, followed by 
Kev. S Cnrtis and Col. C. Morse, at Bean S. H 

July 4. 1834. by Rev. S. Cnrtis, 

July 4, 183o. by Mr. Daniel Sewall. 

At tbe last meeting but one, found on record, 
held March 15, 1836, the following question, intro- 
duced at a previous meeting, was discussed; viz : — 
"Whether respectable temperence men, refusing to 
unite with temperance societies, or notorious drunk- 
ards are doing most injury to the cause of Tempe- 
rance ?" It was discussed by H. Mayhew^ Josiah Cha- 
ny. Elder Clark and others. Thanks were voted to 
Elder Clark for his able remarks on the question. 
It was also voted unanimously, that the respectable 
temperance man who drinks moderately, is doing 
greater injury to the cause of Temperance than the 
open drunkard. 

Not long after the last date given above, the Wash- 
ingtonians snrprized the country, threw the old tem- 
perance people into the back ground, and took the 
work into their own hands. The Washingtonians 
aimed at reclaiming the sot, and many of them no 
doubt thought it was a new idea in the world. But 
the records referred to above show it to have been 
an object with temperance men years before. It is 
true, however, that this was considered a rather up- 
hill business formerly; still it is believed that one such, 
if no more, was reformed through the efforts of the 
old organization. The writer lacks information as 
to the amount of good done in this town by the 
Washingtonians. Several temperance societies, in 
various forms, have been started and flourished for a 



9'2 History of CiiE-vrEuviLu:. 

time, since the above mentioned efforts. All have 
doubtless, done more or less g-ood to the cause. 

1)0. — Masts A?5n Sp.^ks, 

It is supposed that the first masts cut in Chester- 
ville were prepared and hauled from the farms of 
Moses and Joseph French, about the vear 1825. This 
was done by men ensjaged in buildinoj vessels at <)r 
near Hallowell. Within six or seven years after this 
several sets of masts were obtained in a similar man- 
ner, ns they were needed in shipyards. In the win- 
ter of 1832 the business of furnishing masts was un- 
dertaken by inhabitants of the town. Col. Samuel 
French. .Jr., ('who bv the way was the first, if not the 
only militia field officer taken from this town,) cut 
and hauled to Hallowell from his farm, 22 masts. It 
was while loading the first of these for Hallowell, Jan. 
3, 1^32. that it came down from the sled, crush- 
iiig the legs of his brother, Benj. S. French, on the 
frozen ground, with but little snow. It literally ground 
the bones of the right leg in many pieces, and dis- 
located the ancle, and broke one bone of the left 
leg twice. Bv the skill of Drs. Baldwin and Sanborn 
he" became able to stand erect without any support 
but these legs, in four weeks and three days after the 
iuiurv. His legs were weak for a long time, as it was 
about a year before he could trust them in all plac- 
es. In 1833 Col. French cut and hauled 20 more 
masts. Since 1H25 there have been cut in the south 
part of the town, on different farms, by different ])er- 
sons, about 400 masts, besides many spars and much 
othei- ship timber, inchuling red oak plank. A few 
have been marketed from otlier p.irts of the^town. ^ 
Masts standing, such a'' were sold in 1825 for ^3, 
are sold latterlv for ^40. Transporting them to Hal- 
lowell now costs about double the amount of ex- 



History of Chi:sterville. 93 

pense as at that time. Within ten years previous to 1856 
Isaac French hauled about 175 masts, from 20 t'^ 86 
miles, generally landing them in Hallowell. Part, 
however, were left at Augusta, Gardiner and Pitts- 
ton. Besides these he hauled many loads of spars 
and other ship timber. He drove an ox team to Ken- 
nebec River in this business 346 times. One pair of 
oxen, which he raised, Avere in the team every trip. 
Notwithstanding all this travel, in addition to no small 
amount of labor on the farm, this pair of oxen lived 
until they were slaughtered in l)ec. 1855, at which 
time they lacked only two months of being twenty 
years of age. Tn the Farmington Chronicle of April 
20, 1854, appeared the following : — "Mr. Isaac French 
of South Chesterville, has a yoke of oxen, 18 years 
old, which have been driven to the Kennebec and 
back again 340 times, making an aggregate distance 
traveled of 17,000 miles. Besides this they have 
done the ordinary ox work on a farm. They are vet- 
erans." 

91. — Destructive Wind. 

On the 29th day of June 1865, there came up a 
smart shower, accompanied by a tornado, which was 
especially powerful in the south part of Chesterville. 
It unroofed several buildings, moved a few from their 
foundations, and demolished a few sheds. It also 
blew down several appletrees. and many forest trees, 
overturning alike the lofty pine, the sturdy oak and 
thf strong sugar maple, and the evergreen hemlock, 
which had stood the blasts of centuries. In many 
places these trees with others large and small, were 
prostrated in a heterogeneous mass, much to the dam- 
age of the owners. It also displaced a fence made of 
large pine stumps, which had been built several years, 
and of course had become partially imbedded in the 
soil. 



94: History of Chestervii.le. 

92. avalatsche. 

The folio wins: is from the Chronicle of May 21, 
1857. — " Land Slide in Chesterville — A correspond- 
ent, S. B., writinaj from Chesterville, tells of a slide 
of soil, rocks and trees from a hill in this vicinity, 
during the heavy spring rains in April. We had 
before heard it spoken of as a notable curiosity. He 
says; "During the great rain storms in April a piece 
of land, six rods in length smd four in width, slid 
off a depth of from four to six feet, carrying trees a 
foot or more in diameter, and a number of large rocks, 
one of which is estimated to weigh twenty tons. — 
The strip of land was situated upon the easterly slope 
of a steep [Blabon] hill, on land owned by Nathaniel 
Whittier, Jr., and known as the Esq. Morgridge Farm. 
At the eastern side or foot of this slope was a narrow 
swamp containitg a large quantity of muck and spring 
water. The slide went directly into the swamp, and 
with such irresistible power as to force up from its 
bed, and over a second slope, a great quantity of the 
former contents of the bop- A part of the slide, con- 
taining the trees and rocks is now resting on the bed 
of the swamp." 



93. — Town Officers. 

1802— Selectmen; William Bradbury, Thomas Williams, Aaron Fellow'^ ; Clerk, 

Joshua B. Lowell ; Treasure!', Samuel Linscott. 
1803— All the officers Ihe same as in 1802. 
1804 — Selectmen; Joshua B. Lowell, Jonathan Fellows, Thomas Williams ; 

Clerk; Joshua B. Lowell ; tr.'^ William Bradbury. 
1805 — Selectmen; Joshua B. Lowell, Jonatluui Fellows, Richard Maddocks.; 

Clerk: Joshua B. Lowell; Treasurer; William Bradbury. 
1806 — Selectmen ; Joshua B. Lowell, Richard Maddocks, Joseph French; 

Clerk; .Joshua B, Lowell; Treasurer; Wm. Bradbury. 
1807 — Selectmen; J. B. Lowell, Joseph French, Newel Gordon ; Clerk; J. B. 

liOwell — Treasurer; Wm. Bradbury. 
1808 — All the town officers the same as in the preceding year. 
1809 — Selectmen; Joseph French, Henry Whitney, Wm. Bradbury; Clerk and 

Treasurer same as preceding year. 



HisroKY OF Chesterville. 95 

1810— Selectmsn; Wm. Bnidbury, Joseph French, Henry Whitney; Clerk, and 

Treasurer same as preceding year. 
1811— Selectmen; Wm. Bra.lbury; J. French. John Bean; Clerk; Wm. Brad- 
bury; Treasurer; Wm. Bradbury. 
1812— Selectmen ;JoshuaB. Lowell, Wm. Bradbury, Joseph French; Clerk and 

Treasurer same as preceding year. 
1813— Selectmen; Wm. Bradbury, Joseph French, Oliver Sewall; Clerk and 

Treasurer; same as preceding year. 
1814— Selectmen; Joseph French, 0. Sewall, Leonard Billings; Clerk; Samuel 

Linscott, Jr. ; Treasurer. 
1815— Selectmen; same as preceding year; Glerk; Wm. Bradbury; Treasurer; 

s^anic as preceding year. 
ISIG— All the officers same as precedieg yoar. 
1817 — All the officers same as 'preceding year. 
1818— Selectmen; 0, Sewall, Leonard Glidden, Daniel Gorden; Clerk; Tobias 

Moore; tr.Wm. Bradbui-y. 
1819— Selectmen; 0.^ Sewall, Jos. French, Leonard Glidden; Clerk and Treasur- 
er same ;is preceding year. 
1820— Selectmen; 0. Sewall, .Jos. French, Ebenezer Hutchinson; Clerk; Wm. 

Bradbury: Treasurer; same as preceding year. 
1821— Selectmen; John Bean, L. Glidden, David Morrill; Clerk and Treasurer 

same r.s preceding year. 
1822— Selectmen; 0. Sewall, Jos. French, David Morrill; other officers same af 

preceding year. 
1323 — All town officers _same as preceding -ear. 
1824— All town officers same as preced > year. 
1825— Selectmen; Jos. Keith, Thomas Go rulti, Moses Walton, Jr.; other officere 

same as preceding year. 
1826 — All town officers same as preceding year. 
1827— Selectmen; Jos. Keith, M. Walton, Jr., Thomas Gordon; other officer 

same as preceding year. 
1828— Selectmen and treasurer same as preceding year; clerk, Tobias Moore. 
1829— Selectmen and treasurer, same as preceding yeai ; Cyrus Whitney a shorf 
time, and then Bartlett. clerk. 

1830 Selectmen, Jos. Keith, Oliver Billings, Enoch Whittier; Bartlett Lov- 

ell, clerk and treasui'er. 

1831 Selectmen, O. Billings, Reuben Lowell, _Thomas Gorden, clerk and 

treasurer siime as preceding year. 

1832 Selectmen, R. Lowell, Thomas Gorden, 0. Billings; clerk and treasui-T 

same as preceding year. 

1833 All town officers same as preceding year. 

1834 Selectmen; O. Billings, Edward P. Tobie, Jos. Keith ; clerK same ;i:s 

preceding year, Wm. 0. Bradbury, treasurer. 

1835 Selectmen; 0. Billings, Jos. Keith, Wm. Whittier; clerk and treasurer 

same as i)rece'ling year. 



96 History or Chestervit.lk. 

1836 _Sele3tmen E. P. Tobie, Jesse Soper, Win. Wliittler; clerk, B. Lowell 

Treasurer, Jos. Keith. 

1837 Selectmen ; Jos. Keitb, Steplieu JS inborn, William Whittier; B.Lowell, 

clerk; treasurer, W. 0. Bradbury. 

1838 Selectmen; W. 0. Bradbury, Henry Whitney, Jr., John W. xMorrill; 

Hebron Mayhew, clerk, Samuel Wheeler, treasurer. 

1839 Selectmen; Reuben Lowell, Stephe.i Sanborn, Wm. Whittier; clerk and 

treasurer same as preceding year. 

1840 All town officers same as preceding year. 

1841 Selectmen; B- Lowell, David Gorden, Thomas Gorden, Amzi Sanborn 

clerk, treasurer same as preceding year. 

1842 Selectmen; Cyrus Pierce, Columbus Lane, John Oakes, clerk, O. Sewall, 

treasurer, W.O.Bradbury. 
1813 Selectmen; Cyrus Pierce, Columbus Lane, Wm. Whittier; clerk, and 
treasurer, same as preceding year. 

1844 Selectmen; Cyrus Pierce, Elias H. Brown, Wm. Whittier; clerk, Amzi 

Sanborn, treasurer, Elisha Park. 

1845 Selectmen; Reuben Lowell, Elias 11. Brown, John W. Sanborn, clerk, 

Amzi Sanborn, treasurer, Wm. 0. Bradbury. 

1846 Selectmen; same as preceding; clerk, Jotham D. Bradbury, treasurer, 

W. 0. Bradbury. 

1847 Selectmen, Zibeon Field, L.M.Brown, J. W. Sanborn; clerk, Oliver 

Sewall, treasurer. Otis C. Sewall. 

1848 Selectmen; Cyrus Pierce, L. M. Brown, Wm. Whittier ; clerk, B. F. 

Atkinson and 0. Sewall, treasurer W. 0. Bradbury. 

1849 Selectmen ; as preceding, clerk, 0. Sewall, treasurer, as i^receding. 

1850 Selectmen; Collins Lovejoy, Charles Walton, Dudley G. Morrill, clerk, 

B. Lowell, treas. as last year. 

1851 All same as last. 

1852 Selectmen; Shepard Linscott, C. Waltau, Thomas Williams, clerk and 

tr. as last. 

1853 Selectmen; Freeman Burle}', E. H. Brown, Phiueas Whittier, others. 

as last. 

1854 S. men ; P. Burley, E. H. Brown, P- Whittier ; c'k, B. Lowell, tr.as last 

1855 S; F. Burley, G. Clarke, BenuingGlines, c'k, J. C. Wheeler, tr. same 

1856 S. W. F. Lowell, G. Clarke, S. P. Morrill, ck. as last, tr. G. L. Riggs.. 

1857 S. Wm. F. Lowell, E. French, S. P. Morrill, ck. and tr. as last. 

1858 S. W. F. Lowell, E Frrnch, G. W. Davis, ck. and tr. as last. 



\' 



HISTORY 



OF 



CHESTERVILLE, 



MAINE 



BY THE LATE OLIVER SEWALL, Esq. 



EARMINGTON, Me. 

PUBLISHED BY J. S. SWIFT. 
1875. 



APPENDIX — ADVERTISEMENT, 

Mr. Sewall kept a journal from liis boyhood to 
within a few days of his death, in which he recorded 
the employments and observations of each day, and 
this, Avith the habit Avhich the practice confirmed, en- 
abled him to make the early History of Chesterville 
remarkably complete, and it is hojied that the ap- 
pendix — the publication of which will follow as soon 
as practicable — will make the whole work a model 
town history. 

The plan proposed for the Appendix to the Histo- 
ry of Chesterville will make it somewhat more exten- 
sive than the original work. 

It is nroposed, among other things, to give a few 
additional papers by Mr. Sewall ; somewhat extended 
biographical sketches of the author of the original 
history, Rev. Jotham Sewall, Father Foster, and some 
others who have been prominent citizens; and the gen- 
ealogy, as far as it can be procured, of each family. 

It is proposed likewise to give a brief description 
and sketch of the history of each f\irm — a feature nev- 
er before attempted in a town history. 

Among the subjects for distinct sections of the ap- 
pendix for which more or less preparation has been 
made, may be cnumeiated the following ; — Geology 
of Chesterville — Botany of Chesterville — Agriculture 
of Chesterville — Manufactures of Chesterville — The 
Future of Chesterville — Orcharding in (yjiesterville — 
Water Power of (Jhestcrville — Scenery of Chester- 
ville, \kv., Scv. 

PuiiLlSHER. 



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